


Boom x3

by dissentingsweaters



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Bingo Square: Everyone Thinks We're Doing It, Established Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M, Neighbors, everyone thinks we're doing it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-07-13 19:08:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 33,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16024136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dissentingsweaters/pseuds/dissentingsweaters
Summary: Yugyeom and BamBam are loud. Which wouldn’t be as much of a problem if they weren’t also idiots who have neighbors. Unfortunately for the residents of their apartment building, Yugyeom and Bambam are notorious for their loud, vocal, and all too raunchy personal lives. But the thing is, the two of them are merely best friends who find themselves getting into all sorts of situations that make others think they are much, much more.Or in other words, Yugbam are too loud for the paper thin walls of their apartment complex and JJP and Markson suffer more than they could ever deserve.





	1. A Fresh New Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
>   
> I hope everyone has seen the music video for [Lullaby](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RUeTYiJCyA/) and listened to all of the other songs of the album because they are amazing! (Personal favorites are Sunrise and Nobody knows, but that's just us). To celebrate the comeback, we are posting the first chapter of this fic, which happens to be our first ever so please go easy on us. :P  
>   
> Additionally, we were inspired to start writing in general from this awesome event going on right now, [GOT7 Fic Bingo](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/GOT7FicBingo/), and so we hope that we are representing it well.  
>   
> Anyways, enough of this, hope you enjoy the fic.

“Alright, it’s official. That’s the last of it,” Jackson says as he loads the final box into the moving van. Thinking he is going to see a tired, but relieved smile on Mark’s face, he is surprised to look down and only get a distracted hum in return.

“Maaaaaark. I know my gun show is impressive enough to make you daydream, but I think all of my hard manual labor deserves a little more love than that,” he crows as he joins Mark on the curb and nudges him lightly, hoping to get at least some sort of reaction out of him.

Still lost in thought and not paying the conversation as much attention as his boyfriend would like, Mark murmurs, “Thank you Jackson for the gun show.”

“Nope, that just won’t do. What about this? _Ahem_. Wow! Mark Tuan is the luckiest boy in the world because he has the one and only Jackson Wang as his boyfriend. Not only is Jackson Wang the strongest and hunkiest god on this planet, but he is also the cutest. Have you seen those puppy eyes? Swoon worthy! Therefore, Mark Tuan should be thanking the universe that his soulmate Jackson oh so lovingly carried all of their boxes down the stairs and moved them into the truck while he sat on the sidewalk and stared off into space, which is unacceptable. Unless, he was daydreaming about Jackson Wang and his beautiful biceps or fabulous face or terrific thighs. Oh don’t even get me started on those thighs! Yes PLE-”

“Oh my god Jackson! Be quiet! Our neighbors can hear us!” Mark tries to get out through his giggles as he shoves Jackson to make him stop.

Dusting himself off, Jackson pops back up into sitting position and stares fondly at his still snickering boyfriend. “I had to get your attention somehow and I am glad it worked. But what’s on your mind? You seemed pretty out of it.”

The laughter slowly leaves Mark’s face and he sighs. “I’m a little worried. Just because of my new job on the other side of town, we are moving and you have to change gyms. We’re saying goodbye to the place that we made into our home over the last couple years and I guess I feel kind of nostalgic now?”

Jackson’s face relaxes as he begins to understand and assures Mark, “Hey, you know that I can do my fencing training anywhere. Plus, my coach already cleared the change and I have fencing buddies that practice at the new gym too. I did some crowdsourcing and found out that Jooheon trains there and Amber is the manager. You know they’ll both be there to help me settle in and make sure I don’t get too much trouble, so like we talked about before, don’t worry about me.”

Shrugging, Mark replies, “That’s true, but I think I will still miss this place.”

Jackson smiles softly and brushes some of Mark’s hair away from his cheek. “I know, you sap, I will too. But our new apartment is going to be amazing! We really found the perfect place between the office, gym, and that killer ramen place we always go to for date night.”

“Yeah, but _ugh_. For some reason, I’m also getting a bad feeling about the new apartment Jackson. I can’t explain it.” Mark says as he frustratedly rakes his hands through his hair.

“Hey, hey. None of that.” Jackson gently takes Mark’s wrists in one hand and uses his other to slowly right the clumps of hair that got out of place. “I think it is normal to be nervous about a big move so that feeling in your gut might be that. Plus, everything checked out with the inspectors so what could possibly be wrong with the place?”

Not entirely convinced but willing to be soothed, Mark slowly nods and softly murmurs, “I guess you’re right.”

“Ok so now that that’s settled, what do you say about brushing off all of this sidewalk dust we have on our pants, hopping into the van, and heading over to the apartment of our dreams?” Jackson offered as he held his hand out in invitation.

“Well as long as I can be the one to brush the dirt off your pants, I’m in,” Mark croons.

Jackson jumps away and holds his hands against the dust-ridden seat of his pants, as if that would protect him from Mark’s gaze and not-so innocent intentions.

Mark motions with his finger and smirks, “I believe I stated my terms for getting off this curb, Jackson. Time to pay up.”

With a blush bleeding into the apples of his cheeks and down his throat, Jackson slowly walks back towards Mark, turns to face the street, and weakly says, “Mark, remember the neighbors you mentioned before? They have windows.”

Humming in agreement, Mark smoothly gets up from the sidewalk and as he brushes the dust off of Jackson, softly adds, “This is just the way I show my thanks to the universe that Jackson Wang is my soulmate. Nothing wrong about that.”

Jackson sputters and before he can step away, Mark sets his hands on Jackson’s waist and whispers in his ear, “And just as a note. I think the perfect Jackson Wang forgot to add his _amazing ass_ to the list before he moved onto talking about those terrific thighs.”

With the breath catching in his throat, Jackson turns around, but Mark has already stepped away, giggling while sauntering toward the truck. Spinning around to walk backwards, “Didn’t you say our dream apartment was waiting for us? Why are you just standing on the street staring at nothing?” Mark teases with a gleam in his eyes.

“Mark. Y-Y-You,” Jackson sputters. “Why do you do this to me?”

Mark’s laughter rings out in response and after a few moments, the sound of two car doors slamming and an engine revving fill the air.

 

\-------

 

Mark looks out the window to see the semi-familiar street of what will be their new home and he thinks back to when this all started one month ago.

 

Moving up the workplace ladder has its perks with the pay raise and additional opportunities, but what he didn’t expect was that it came with its own set of fine print. As of next week, he would officially be the senior game developer of the company; his dream job since he was in high school and stuck arguing with himself whether majoring in game design was a good idea or if he should pick a _responsible_ major like his dad was gently wheedling him to do. So, while he was elated, the drawback of this new development was that he had been transferred to the company’s headquarters, which was on the other side of town and unless he wanted to commute through an hour’s worth of traffic, their apartment was no longer the convenient place it once was.

Being the supportive person that Mark knows and loves, Jackson took his dilemma and laid it out simply. “Mark, I’m not sure why you’re even having reservations. The higher-ups have been keeping track of your work over the past couple years and they’re impressed by what they’ve seen. You’re finally going to be able to head your own projects!” Jackson sets his hands onto Mark’s shoulders where he can feel their warmth bleed through his shirt, “Your dream is coming true. You did it.”

Mark’s eyes burn faintly. He sometimes asks himself what he did to deserve such a person in his life and how he got to call that special person solely his. Chuckling, “I know Jia Er, I think I just needed to hear someone else say it out loud. It still doesn’t feel real, but if I take this job, we would have to move. There is no way I could commute for hours everyday.”

“Oh, so that would mean I would have the same issue if I keep training at my gym?” Jackson questions.

Visibly wilting, Mark adds, “Yeah. I didn’t want to make you feel like I was the only one making decisions and then force you to move gyms or start commuting for longer than either of us would like.”

“Well the fact that you are this troubled about this should be enough proof that you aren't and would never be that kind of person. We’re a team remember? Plus, I think the idea of changing gyms is just what I need.”

Mark looks up at those words and meets Jackson’s gaze with a questioning one of his own. “What do you mean you like the idea of changing gyms? You love that place!”

Blushing slightly and bringing his hand up to ruffle the back of his head, Jackson quietly mutters, “No particular reason.”

“What. Is. The. Reason.” Mark pokes his finger into Jackson’s stomach with each word.

Jackson fidgets in place and protests, “It’s really not a big deal, but you know Eric?”

Still mostly confused and trying to figure out Jackson’s sense of logic before he can spell it out, Mark replies, “Yes, I know Eric Nam. That guy who works at the front desk of your gym. What about him?”

“Well I just think it would be a good idea if I don’t have to see his smiley and too pleasant face anymore! That guy lives to annoy me. I swear that I spend more time defending myself from him and his sarcasm than I do training!”

More baffled than anything from Jackson’s explanation, Mark just raises his eyebrows. “He seemed perfectly pleasant every time I came down to the gym to visit you. We made pretty good conversation and he even gave me some song recommendations when I told him my work playlists were getting stale.”

Somehow, Mark’s words seem to rile Jackson up even further. “Yeah! That’s another thing. Eric pays way too much attention to you! You know what he said to me after you left one time?”

Mark decides to just play along and get Jackson’s full explanation, and hums in question.

Visibly redder and more worked up than he was minutes ago, Jackson continues, “He had the _audacity_ to tell me that you are one handsome son of a gun and that _I_ was _lucky_ that you found me cute and he wondered how you can deal with me 24/7! Eric Nam! _That_ guy asked _me_ that!”

Struggling, and failing, to hold his snickers in, Mark hides his face in his hands as Jackson looks at him with nothing less than pure betrayal. “And look, now he is making you laugh at my expense! I hate you Eric!”

 

Smiling to himself as he reminisced about the steps that led right to this moment, Mark shakes himself out from his memories and back to Jackson pulling the moving van alongside the curb of their new apartment complex. Turning to Jackson and grinning while raising his eyebrows, he asks, “You ready?”

As always, Jackson smiles in return and that alone makes Mark feel more assured than he knew he needed. “Of course! But this time, you need to do more moving and less sitting on the curb while having a quarter-life crisis,” Jackson quips with a wink.

Mark flicks Jackson in the forehead in response, which earns him a whine and yelp from his intended victim. Feeling as though he got his retribution, he hops out of the van and waits for Jackson to join him on the street. “Jackson, want to move the big stuff out first and then start on the boxes? I think that would be easier since this building has an elevator and we can use the push cart with all the boxes later.”

Jackson, walking over to the back of the truck and pouting all the while, grudgingly agrees but continues to rub at the nonexistent mark on his forehead. “The couch is near the front so that is probably a good place to start.”

“Good point. I’ll take the back and you can lift from the other side. Will you be able to walk backwards with it? The step from the truck to the ground looks tricky so make sure you’re careful Jackson,” Mark says as his voice grows fainter when he walks deeper into the moving van.

Jackson grins and motions to his chest with his thumb, “I’ve got this. I bet we could move all of this within an hour since we’re working together so don’t worry about me.”

Nodding, Mark and Jackson grip the sides of the couch and begin to shuffle their way to the opening of the truck. But as Jackson moves to step down and place his foot on the ground, his grip slips on his end of the couch and he stumbles.

“Jackson! Are you-” Mark begins but before he can complete the thought, he sees a hand rush to firmly support Jackson’s back and two other sets of arms reach to grab the remaining sides of the couch.

“Woah, hey! Are you two alright? Let us help with this.”

Two of the strangers help share the weight of the couch and it is easily unloaded and set onto the street. With his hands free, Mark moves over to Jackson’s side and setting his hand at the small of his back, asks, “Jackson, that was a close one. Is your back alright? I know it gives you trouble when you twist it the wrong way. Should I get a lidocaine patch? I know they’re in one of these boxes somewhere.”

Jackson catches Mark’s hands in his and runs his thumb over Mark’s knuckles. “Mark, it’s fine. I was lucky that these three were here to help.” They share a relieved smile between themselves and then turn to face their saviors where they are greeted with three sets of wide smiles.

“Hi, I’m Bambam and these are my roommates Yugyeom and Youngjae!” As he does introductions, he throws his arms around each corresponding person and they wave when their names are said.

Mark immediately smiles, “Hi, I’m Mark and this is my boyfriend Jackson. We seriously could not thank you enough.”

Grinning bashfully and waving his hand cutely in the air, Yugyeom replies, “Ah, don’t worry about it. We were just coming back from lunch and saw you two struggling so we did what anyone should do.”

Bambam and Youngjae nod along in agreement and Bambam finally takes note of the rest of the boxes and furniture inside the truck. “Wait, you two wouldn’t happen to be the people moving into 205 would you?”

Sharing another look, Jackson and Mark raise their eyebrows at each other, before Jackson asks slowly, “Yeah, how did you know that was our apartment unit?”

Youngjae laughs loudly and elbows Bambam in the side. “What Bambam meant to say in a _much_ less creepy way was, would you happen to be our new neighbors? Our landlord told us a while ago that our old downstairs neighbor was moving out and he was going to list the unit soon.”

“Yeah! We have been waiting for weeks to find out who the new neighbor would be so this is like fate that we met even before you could move in!” Bambam excitedly explains while bouncing in place.

Mark chuckles and he can’t help but find these three more adorable than he would like to admit. “I guess it’s fate then. We’re in 205 and so I’m guessing that you three are in 305?”

With a whoop, Bambam and Yugyeom high-five each other and Youngjae looks on fondly. Yugyeom starts, “Man, this is great. Our old neighbor was such a grouch! He would always hit his ceiling with a broom handle and shout at us through the floorboards for no reason.”

“Wow that’s some neighbor,” Jackson chortles.

“Yeah, that guy was so rude. You two look like you are way less grumpy and don’t have a stick up your a-” Bambam chimes in.

“Ahem, no, not in front of our new neighbor hyungs,” Youngjae interjects before Bambam could finish. “Anyways, before Bambam and Yugyeom go on their rant about how rude old men should not be allowed to own brooms, why don’t we help you move the rest of your stuff in?”

“Are you sure you three have the time? You mentioned before that you just came from lunch and we don’t want to take up your day.” Mark responds.

With a smile that lights up his face and eyes crinkling, Youngjae assures him, “Yep! We are students at the college a couple blocks over, but we only have morning classes today. So I was just planning on taking a nap while Yugyeom and Bambam were going to do whatever they do in their room together.”

“Haha...yeah. Don’t worry about it Youngjae,” Bambam replies as he shares a _look_ with Yugyeom, gestures to his lips, and smirks at him. “But yeah, we’re also very available to help our _cool_ new neighbors move in!”

Jackson whistles and Mark can feel him trying to keep his curiosity in check. “Well if you all insist, we would really appreciate the help. So thank you again for saving our lives before and now helping us with all of this stuff.”

He receives three nods and smiles, so Jackson begins to direct their newly found moving crew into action.

 

\-------

 

“Whew! For only two people, you sure have a lot of stuff!” Bambam complains as he begins to stretch out the kinks from his back and shoulders. He then proceeds to do squats and toe-touches, so Mark and Jackson are left more confused than anything if he is being serious.

Yugyeom walks up behind Bambam and gently taps him on his back to tell him to straighten up, which Bambam readily follows. Smiling softly at the back of his head, Yugyeom begins to massage Bambam’s shoulders, which earns him a pleased hum in response.

Jackson watches this scene unfold in front of him and wonders just what is the relationship between his two neighbors. From their shared looks beforehand and now this sweet little interaction, they could be _really_ good friends or maybe, something a little more. He knows that after they are done moving in and the three leave, he’ll rope Mark into a discussion about his suspicions. There is just something there that is tickling Jackson’s curiosity and he knows that Mark is just as interested so he probably noticed some details that Jackson himself missed.

Still massaging Bambam’s shoulders, Yugyeom decides to add with a tone full of mischief, “Ignore him. He has enough shoes to fill up three of your boxes and he doesn’t even wear most of them, so he has no room to talk.”

Hearing his roommate throw him and his transgressions under the bus, Bambam springs away and squawks, “I only have 37 pairs of shoes Yugyeom! Any normal person would have that many,” and with a withering glare and snooty sniff, he adds, “You just don’t understand me _or_ basic fashion.”

Youngjae laughs and pats Bambam’s shoulder in an attempt to soothe his ruffled feathers. But not yet ready to drop it, Bambam continues to pout in the corner of the room. Yugyeom and Youngjae share a look and shake their heads fondly, then turn back towards Mark and Jackson. “Were those all of the boxes? I think we double checked that the van was completely empty but we just wanted to make sure.”

Dusting off his hands and settling them in his back pockets, Jackson replies sunnily, “Yeah I think we got all of it. Seriously, thank you so much. All _three_ of you, even Bambam who was complaining before!”

From the back of the room, a little snort is heard and when Bambam turns back around to face the rest the room, a small grin has replaced his previous pout. “It was our pleasure. You two seem fun and easy going so I think we’re going to be great friends.”

“True, we should definitely hang out more,” Yugyeom agrees. “But for now, if we’re all done unloading the truck, we should probably get going and let you guys start unpacking. Anytime you have any questions though, or just want a good time, feel free to stop by hyungs!” But before Jackson or Mark can respond, Youngjae interjects, “But you should probably call first! More often than not, Bambam and Yugyeom are up to _something_ , so I don’t think our apartment would be quite ready to welcome guests.” The two aforementioned individuals both meet each other’s gazes, look guiltily upwards, and mumble, “Sorry Youngjae. We’ll try to clean up afterwards next time.”

With that, Jackson and Mark chuckle and bid their new neighbors goodbye. It being the first chance of the day to take a break, they immediately fall in a heap onto the couch. “Ugghh,” Mark groans. “Every inch of me is so sore. I don’t know if I could have survived without their help.”

“Eh,” Jackson shrugs. “It’s really not that much more work than one of my training sessions.” Turning to Mark, he flexes a bicep and brags, “You just need to work on your stamina and build more muscle mass like me.”

Mark’s glare from being insulted turns into a teasing grin. “Why Jackson, that’s not what you said the other night. In fact, if I remember correctly, you had nothing but praise for my _stamina_.” Mark shifts so that he’s pushing Jackson further into the couch. “Maybe all this hard work has gotten to you. Do you perhaps need a reminder?” Slowing drawing his finger down Jackson’s chest, Mark smirks at the dumbstruck look on his boyfriend’s face. _Not so smug now_ , he thinks to himself.

Jackson swallows and lets out a ragged breath. “I think you’re right. You should definitely give me a reminder.”

Mark’s smile becomes completely predatory as he swings his leg to straddle Jackson’s lap. Immediately, Jackson’s hands come up to rest on Mark’s waist, meant to both steady him and pull him closer. With one hand, Mark traces the sharp line of Jackson’s jaw, feeling a hint of stubble. The other tangles in his boyfriend’s hair, lightly tugging the soft locks until Jackson’s head is at the perfect angle for Mark to lean down and kiss the lips that he loves most.

Despite the teasing and overwhelming tension between them, their kiss is sweet. Lips lightly brush against each other: once, twice, pulling apart only to come back together again and again. Mark loves these kisses of theirs, the ones that seem to last for days and never get old. He could kiss Jackson like this for hours on end. They _have_ done so too many times to count, lost in their own world, shedding all thoughts of worries and responsibilities for a brief moment of time.

At one point, Mark presses down a little too hard with his hips and the tempo changes. Suddenly, neither of them can get enough. Mark tugs Jackson’s head back further, mouthing along his neck while Jackson’s hands slide under Mark’s shirt to roam across his back. Gently sucking a mark above his boyfriend’s collarbone, Mark drags a sharp whine from Jackson’s throat. Instantly, Jackson pulls Mark down harder to increase the friction between their bodies and Mark abandons his previous work to kiss Jackson once again. This kiss is filthier, both men intent on mapping every inch of the other’s mouth.

“Oh fuck,” Jackson moans, when they both stop for air. “I should insult you all the time if this is what I get for it.”

Giggling, Mark leans down and mumbles softly against Jackson’s lips. “Don’t press your luck or I’ll actually have to punish you next time.”

Upon hearing this, Jackson quietly whimpers. “Jesus, fuck, please tell me you aren’t kidding. I will do anything, and I mean _anything_ , if you’re actually serious about that.”

“Dead serious,” Mark promises, before he’s picked up and moved to lay down on the couch. Leaning over him and settling between his thighs, Jackson grins as he tells Mark, “I love you. I love you so much, and I hope you know that.”

“You sap,” Mark replies. “I love you too. Now, show me how you feel.”

“Yes sir,” Jackson says with a special gleam in his eyes. And he does.

 

\-------

 

“Ah, I think that that was enough of a break...of sorts,” Jackson sighs with contentment. “Are you ready to head downstairs and start exploring the rest of the complex?”

Mark nods and pats Jackson’s chest one last time before he stretches to stand. Reaching to grasp Jackson’s hand, he grips it and tugs, “Here, I’ll give you a boost, for all of your hard work today,” and with a wink and arms straining, Mark pulls Jackson upright. “The mail room is probably a good place to start. The landlord gave me the key and I changed our mailing address last week so we should check if we already have some mail.”

They make their way down the hallway and while heading to the stairwell that will take them down to the first floor, they begin to discuss their new neighbors. “Wow, we really lucked out that the three of them live upstairs. Never thought I would find a group of college students adorable enough to want to hold, but somehow, they made it happen,” Jackson admits.

“I know exactly what you mean. Especially that Youngjae kid, when he smiled at us, it was like the sun was coming out from behind clouds or something.” Mark shakes his head in bafflement, still stuck on how one person could encapsulate the word _sunshine_ so easily.

“Yeah and Bambam is just too much! I’m not sure how someone could be that adorably feisty, energetic, and full of sass, while managing to fit all that personality in such a small body. Speaking of, why the hell do BamBam and Yugyeom both have such tall, long legs?”

Mark laughs, and shrugs. “Don’t bring your envy of their legs into this, Jackson. But I have no idea. Honestly, I’m surprised at how good of friends those two are. Yugyeom just seems so sweet and shy; the epitome of a pure soul. I don’t know how BamBam hasn’t eaten him alive yet.”

Jackson snickers, “Who says he hasn’t? Have you seen the way those two look at each other? I’m pretty sure there’s something way beyond the bonds of friendship there.”

“I thought so too!” Mark exclaims. “The way they finish each other’s sentences and mirror each other’s movements is honestly so cute. And Youngjae watches them so fondly, like a proud older brother.”

Jackson, with enough hearts in his eyes to blind him to simple logic, states, “I want them to be my sons. Mark, I think we’re ready to be parents.”

Mark chokes in disbelief from Jackson’s theatrics and merely retorts with, “Jackson, while I think that would be an interesting concept, I don’t think it would even be legally possible to adopt a college student. Much less three at one time; so it would probably be a good idea to give up on this dream of yours.”

With a slight slump of his shoulders, Jackson acknowledges Mark’s point, “Yeah, I know. But I can’t help what I want it. Their parents are lucky people. I’m jealous.”

“While I agree with you, why don’t we just settle on being their neighbors first and maybe after a while, their friends?” Mark lightly jokes. He grabs one of Jackson’s hands and swings it between them to help soften the sting of reality. “I’m looking forward to getting to know them better and since they’re our upstairs neighbors, I bet we will be able to run into them pretty often. So don’t worry Jackson, I bet we’ll get our fair share of those three.”

The smile that Mark gets in return is as bright as ever and with a spring in his step, Jackson tugs Mark lightly into the room lined with all of the mailboxes of the apartment’s residents. “Did you bring the key down? I think the landlord said the mailbox number matched our apartment number. So that’s pretty convenient.”

“Yep, it’s right here. Let’s see if the address change worked,” Mark replies. As they begin to peek into the darkness of their mailbox, the two hear the sounds of two people approaching.

“ _Jinyoung, I know you said you checked this morning, but my mom said that the letter definitely should arrive today._ ”

“ _Jaebeommie, you’re lucky I forgot to take the mailbox key out of my briefcase last week. Or you would have had to go upstairs to get it and I’m not sure if your old man bones could have handled the extra stairs,_ ” someone responds in a teasing lilt.

“ _Ah, you little brat._ ” Still facing the mailboxes, Jackson can’t see the expression on the person’s face, but just from the tone alone, he can hear the overwhelmingly fond exasperation that that little statement contained. “ _Jokes on you because I would have just taken the elevator._ ”

“ _Wow, that is exactly what an old man would say. So you’re not making a very strong case for yourself_.”

Mark and Jackson, overhearing this whole conversation, struggle to keep their laughter in especially when the couple enter the mailroom and begin to open their box. Slowly turning their heads to face the newcomers, Mark and Jackson cannot help but stare. [On the right](https://pm1.narvii.com/6189/e98705e7bac0938ec32cec8daa9b1e001b0b0e42_hq.jpg) is a cold, intense looking man with a sharp jawline and strong eyebrows. His auburn hair falls in soft waves over his forehead and the multitude of hoops in his ears glint in the light. The graphic tee he wears tucked into dark jeans, topped with a leather jacket add to his bad boy appeal. Conversely, [the man beside him](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/NIZjALLJJQFyly5kqK3k1BTM7kwR5R8HYQqXxZGYzZt9NpfozHjs5jlC2YJRhIR5SJ7Z9YTRkoiKv0PIdmbK_vOoPKwe8UIpzfa1eeSNjzgtB4sZrQOaiGxLUiF-2jEUY1UlSirz) can only be described as ethereal; his fresh and clean image is just amplified by the stark contrast of his dark black hair against his porcelain skin. Dressed simply, his soft orange sweater and loose fitting jeans project a warmer and more approachable image than his companion, yet his face holds an air of cool disinterest.

Taking this all in, Jackson can’t help but notice that somehow, these two, when in each other’s presence, are much more than the sum of their parts. “ _Well you always did have a thing for older men, so I think this should be a moment of introspection for you and not me,_ ” the lighter haired man replies with a cheeky grin. Almost instantaneously, his intimidating aura fades and is replaced with a warm fondness directed toward the other man, whose face changes to reflect the affection and tenderness he is receiving. Mouth parted in disbelief, the younger man appears baffled that he was now the one being teased and losing the upper hand. The shifting emotions on his face conveyed his indignation with a hint of delight and he merely responds with a close-lipped smile and conceding hum of acknowledgement.

But as if they could sense that they were being studied, the pair under observation turned in tandem to look at Mark and Jackson. Blushing from embarrassment at being caught staring, Mark immediately looks down and elbows Jackson to make sure he also makes it less obvious that they had been watching them. But, being a friendly person who sometimes does not follow social conventions too closely, Jackson smiles and begins to introduce himself. “Hi, I’m Jackson and this is my boyfriend Mark.”

The darker-haired man tilts his head to the side and taps his lips with his pointer finger before directing it toward Jackson with a questioning look. “Ah, are you two new to the apartment building? I don’t recognize your faces.”

Feeling as though it would be more awkward to continue standing there in silence, Mark replies, “Yeah. Jackson and I just moved in today so we’re exploring the building and still getting a feel for the place.”

“Well that explains it. My name is Jinyoung and this is my husband Jaebeom. We’re on the third floor and have been living here for about hmm...four years now. Are you two familiar with the neighborhood already or was this a big move?” Jinyoung inquires as Jaebeom nods along lazily.

“We’re from the other side of town and we know a couple restaurants here and there, but beyond that, we are still kind of clueless.” Jackson adds with a shrug of his shoulders. “Would you happen to know a good supermarket in the neighborhood? Our fridge is empty and we are in desperate need for some food.”

Jaebeom’s face immediately turns into a scowl and bitterly answers, “As long as it isn’t that place across from the ramen shop two streets over. I saw the owner chase a cat out of their store once and I have never been able to stand him or his place since. So if you have any sense of morals, don’t go there.”

Jinyoung grips his husband’s arm with one hand and uses his other to pat his chest a few times. “As you can see, Jaebeom is very sensitive about people’s goodwill toward cats so take that glowing review as you will,” and in a quiet mutter under his breath, he added, “Even if that place has the best ready-to-eat kimchi I’ve had since I left home, ‘ _we just_ _can’t support that place Jinyoung.’_ Great.”

With a hearty chuckle, Jackson can sense this conversation was one that the couple had already had several times in the past, he grins, “Ok got it. Any place other than that evil cat-hating man’s supermarket. That sounds doable.”

Nodding thankfully and with a smile that makes his whole face soften, Jaebeom adds, “This neighborhood really is a good one. Pretty central to whatever you need to do in the city, but not too congested. So I think once you make yourselves more comfortable, you’ll love it.”

“Yes, welcome to the neighborhood,” Jinyoung warmly says. “I bet you two will feel right at home within a week.”

“Thank you. I have to admit that I was particularly nervous about the move since we were just so used to our old apartment and neighborhood. But hearing you say that helped,” Mark gratefully replies. “We won’t keep you for any longer so we’ll leave you two to your mail now, but I hope we can run into each other again.”

As the two begin to turn away, Jaebeom glances behind them and finally notices which mailbox was theirs. Jaebeom coughs and nudges Jinyoung to clue him in. Seeing and instantly understanding Jaebeom’s observation, Jinyoung smirks and laughs loudly enough to catch Jackson and Mark’s attention once more.

With eyes crinkling and a hand still covering his laughing mouth, Jinyoung squeezes out, “Would you two happen to be moving into unit 205?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. Is there somethi-” Jackson replies before being cut off by Jinyoung bursting out into even louder guffaws. Jackson couldn’t help but note how characteristic Jinyoung’s laughter is and feels as though somehow, it fits neatly with the rest of his personality.

Jaebeom, already cackling much more than either Mark or Jackson think is deserved, leans forward to meet Jinyoung’s gaze and pauses. But as if seeing each other’s reactions merely added fuel to the fire, the two resume their laughter without any restraint.

Completely baffled and more lost than anything, Jackson and Mark stand frozen just watching them break down right in front of them. After several moments of their bemused silence, the couple’s laughter finally settles into the occasional snicker and the two straighten to wipe the tears from their eyes.

“Wow, I really didn’t know I needed that,” Jaebeom directs to Jinyoung and after turning his focus back to Mark and Jackson, he adds, “Seriously, no harm meant from that. So please don’t feel like we were laughing at you.”

With more trepidation that he hoped to ever experience, Mark asks, “Um, is there something we should know about the apartment we’re moving into?”

Eyes full of mirth and with giggles still leaving his mouth, Jinyoung merely replies, “If I were you two, I would invest in some earplugs.” And with wink, Jinyoung turns to lock their mailbox, grabs Jaebeom’s hand in his, and the two leave the mailroom with a bounce in their step that wasn’t present when they walked in.

“I don’t understand what just happened. I know Jaebeom said that they weren’t laughing at us, but I feel like they were. Should we be worried?” Jackson mused as he ruffled his hand through his hair.

Shaking his head, Mark answered, “No, I think they were both too nice to do that. But what did Jinyoung mean about earplugs?”

“I don’t even have the slightest clue. But it’s been such a long day. Let’s just go back to our apartment and get started on unpacking so we can go to bed.”

“That sounds like the best thing I’ve heard all day Jackson,” Mark says only to be once again interrupted, but this time, by the ring of the arriving elevator. Yugyeom and Bambam rush out and Mark and Jackson raise their hands to wave to them. But upon closer inspection, they notice that Yugyeom is sporting a lipstick imprint on the apple of his left cheek, which just so happens to match the exact shade of lipstick that Bambam is wearing.

“Hyungs! Yugyeom and I are just going to go out to get some dinner. We’ll see you later!” Bambam enthusiastically yells across the apartment lobby as he drags a blushing Yugyeom behind him. Yugyeom weakly waves and only manages a small “Hi hyungs” before both he and Bambam leave the building and disappear from view.

Stepping into the recently emptied elevator, Jackson and Mark both take a deep breath and meet each other’s eyes. “We sure have a lot of _interesting_ characters in this building.”

“I wonder if it’s something they put in the water,” Jackson feebly jokes.

Rubbing the side of his forehead as if he could feel a headache about to come, Mark just sighs. “Let’s just unpack first and when we have free time, we can start making conspiracy theories about this apartment complex and its residents.”

“ _What have we gotten into_?” is the question in both Mark and Jackson’s minds, but both are too scared to vocalize their thoughts since saying something aloud could give it power to become true. So the two continue to stand in the elevator, waiting to travel the one floor to their apartment, but feeling as though it is much, much further away than that.

 

\-------

 

A few days later, they are slowly adapting to their new environments and beginning the process of establishing their new norms. Mark is finding his promotion to be exactly what he has always dreamed of and Jackson is fitting in well at the new gym. The apartment was coming together, where almost everything had been unpacked from the boxes and aside from a few minor piles of miscellaneous decorations, everything was slowly finding its place in their home.

“You wouldn’t believe who came to visit me in the gym today Mark. Eric Nam. He just popped up and sing songed in my ear, ‘Did you miss me’ when I was doing squats. So obviously, I screamed, like any normal person would and he laughed at me! But it gets worse! Then Jooheon and Amber wandered over to see what the commotion was all about and he reenacted it so they all started laughing at me too.”

Sensing that his boyfriend wouldn’t take it well if he laughed at his expense yet again, especially when it involved Eric, Mark diligently tried to contain his laughter, and tried to focus on the laundry he was gathering to throw into the hamper. Thankfully, Jackson was still to engrossed in telling the story that he wasn’t checking for Mark’s reaction quite just yet.

“See, I told you that Eric was pure evil! That cheery smile and those seemingly trustworthy eyes are just part of his master plan. I’m onto him though so he better be on his toes,” Jackson continues to rant as he absentmindedly hands Mark the used hand towels from the bathroom.

Trying to add a more rational lens to Jackson’s interactions with his self-declared arch-nemesis, Mark asks, “Did he say why he suddenly showed up at your new gym?”

Losing some of the steam he had been building, Jackson meekly replies and plays with the towel remaining in his hand, “He said that he wanted to check up on me and make sure I was settling in well. Since he won’t be the person to check me in before each training, he just wanted to see if I was doing alright.”

“Hmmm. Yeah, that _does_ sound like the rationale of an evil genius. I’m glad you’re on the case Jackson. I’m sure you’ll catch him one day,” Mark retorted with a playful roll of his eyes.

“Well yeah, when he says stuff like that, it would be easy to be tricked. But stay strong Mark. Don’t be fooled!”

Mark just waves him off and half-heartedly replies, “Yeah, yeah Jackson. Makes sense.” He picks up the basket full of dirty laundry and starts for the door. “Do you want to come with me to put this into the washer downstairs or do you want to continue pouting up here about Eric Nam?”

Crossing his arms, Jackson mumbles with his chin tucked close to his chest, “I’ll help you with the basket” and takes it from Mark’s grasp as he heads out the door.

Mark smiles at Jackson’s quickly departing back and calls out to him, “Thank you Jackson, I’ll lock the door. Are you trying to run away from me?” Much to Mark’s amusement, Jackson was at the end of the hallway and didn’t seem to be slowing down to wait for him to catch up.

Reaching the basement and entering the laundry room, Mark goes to Jackson’s side and pokes him in the side. “Looks like I caught up. Maybe you should try a little harder next time and if you’re a good boy, I’ll give a reward.”

Mark’s head whips up when he hears the sound of a throat clearing from the other side of the room to see Yugyeom smiling sheepishly and Bambam shaking his head at them.

“Uh, right. Let’s just pretend you two didn’t hear that,” Mark rasped.

Bambam, raising one eyebrow, smirked, “Alright. Since you’re still new, we’ll give you a freebie this time Mark hyung. But you better be careful next time! We can judge as much as we want if this happens again!”

Jackson, who had been silent up until then, retorts, “Bring it on Bambam. I’m curious if you would be able to roast us as much as you make it seem.”

But before Bambam could even scoff, Yugyeom butts in with, “So hyungs, how are you two liking the apartment? Settle in ok?”

Seeing this as an opportunity delivered on a silver platter, Mark jumps on the chance to avoid the potential bickering between Jackson and Bambam. “We’re doing pretty well and so far, everything has been great! Everyone has been so nice and welcoming too.”

“Oh? Did you meet anyone else from the building?” Bambam asks.

Trying to jog his memory from the day they moved in, Jackson remarked, “Yeah. We met a couple that live on your floor actually. I can’t remember their names right now, but one of them looked really...chic and sexy while the other one looked like a prince but he was dressed in dad jeans and a bulky sweater.”

As if a flip was switched, Yugyeom’s face lit up with excitement and he eagerly asked, “Oh my god. Did one of them look happy but when he laughed, it sounded like it didn’t match his expression at all?”

Thinking back to it, Jackson remembers that he noted how unique that laugh was and thinks that Yugyeom’s description fits perfectly. Jackson nods wholeheartedly, to which Yugyeom and Bambam grin at each other and shout in sync, “Jinyoung hyung!”

Mark snaps his fingers and states, “Ah that’s right. It was Jinyoung and Jaebeom. Yeah, they welcomed us to the neighborhood and gave us some suggestions about the shops nearby.”

With a twinkle in his eye, Yugyeom proclaims, “Yep, Jinyoung and Jaebeom hyung are our next door neighbors and they’re great.”

“What do you mean great Yugyeom? Those two are wild!” Bambam exclaims. “You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff that we have heard. It’s like they have no idea how thin the walls are here!”

Mark and Jackson glance at each other and through their expressions alone, ask each other, “ _Is that what they meant when Jinyoung told us to get earplugs?_ ”

Blushing profusely and laughing awkwardly, Yugyeom adds, “Yeah, you two are lucky that you aren’t neighbors with them. They are a very...adventurous couple and I think I would prefer to not know what my hyungs are up to in their, umm, _personal time_.”

Seeing Yugyeom so flustered, Bambam adds, “Look what they did to this pure and precious angel. Those hyungs are way too much. So like Yugyeom said, you two are lucky that we’re your upstairs neighbors and not those two monsters!”

Feeling amused and as though they dodged a bullet, Mark and Jackson nod and agree, to which Bambam responds with a satisfied hum and nod of his own.

“Well, Yugyeom and I have some important business to get back to so we’ll see you later. Bye hyungs! Have fun with your laundry!”

“Bye Mark hyung! Bye Jackson hyung! Make sure you don’t put too much soap and overfill the washing machine,” Yugyeom calls over his shoulder. “We did that once and it was the worst. So save yourselves.”

Jackson and Mark wave to their neighbors as they leave with smiles on their faces. “Hmm, I guess we lucked out. But now that we know what Jinyoung meant, it sounds like we really should invest in those ear plugs after all.”

Mark meets Jackson’s eyes and with a fair amount of doubt, questioned, “Do you really think we need them? Yugyeom seemed pretty affected, but we aren’t cute and innocent college kids so I think we could handle it. I mean, how bad could they really be?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let us know what you think and leave a comment or kudos! This was mainly an introductory chapter that sets up the story, so not much happened, but we have a lot outlined for the rest of this fic. According to the plan, there should be ten chapters and an epilogue. Hopefully, we can keep to this weekly Monday posting schedule but since we are both busy college students, please give us some leeway. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!


	2. The First Incident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> As promised, here is Chapter 2 for our weekly Monday update. Also, if you haven't noticed by now, the title for this fic is from GOT7's song Boom x3 and if you want to laugh, watch a lyric video because this song is gold. Anyways, we hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Jackson trudges up the stairs of the apartment building after a long day of training. His tank top, damp with sweat, clings to his skin and the strap of his equipment bag chafes against his shoulder. Coming up to his door, a heavenly scent reaches his nose and he feels himself grin in anticipation of a home-cooked meal. Quickly unlocking the door and dropping his gear in the entryway, Jackson follows the scent of sesame oil, pepper, garlic, and chili until he reaches the kitchen and sees Mark frying an egg on the stove.

With a soft smile gracing his lips, Jackson saunters over, wraps his arms around his boyfriend’s waist, and presses a tender kiss to the back of Mark’s neck. “Hey babe,” he whispers into Mark’s hair.

“Hey,” Mark responds, just as quietly, unwilling to break the affectionate air of tranquility surrounding them. “I’m glad you’re home.” Gently squeezing Mark closer, Jackson agrees, “Me too. I missed you today.”

Filled with contentment, Mark nudges Jackson with his elbow and suggests, “Why don’t you give me a proper welcome if you missed me so much.” Suddenly, Jackson grabs the hand Mark is using to cook the egg, and keeping his other hand on Mark’s waist to steady him, spins Mark away from the stove, plunges him into a dramatic dip, and kisses him square on the lips. Giggling, Mark wraps his arms around Jackson’s neck and loses himself in the kiss – that is, until he hears an increasingly loud sizzling sound and a burnt smell begins to permeate the air. Panicking, Mark pushes himself away from Jackson, causing his boyfriend to lose his balance, sending both of them tumbling to the ground in a tangled heap.

“Ow. Fuck!” – “Oh my god, my hip.” – “What the hell was that?!” – “Shit, the egg!” – “Did you have to shove me so hard?” – “Oh no, are those flames?” – “Flames, what….holy shit, the stove’s on fire!” – “I know! Quick, take the pan.” – “Move, move, I need to get to the sink.”

Chests heaving as steam billows around them, mixing with the smoke, Mark and Jackson are left staring into the sink at the burnt remains of a previously runny egg. Calming his speeding heart, Jackson mutters, “That went a lot smoother in my head…”

Laughing at his boyfriend’s antics, Mark pecks him on the cheek and states, “I thought it was pretty smooth. But maybe next time you should wait until I’m done cooking to channel your inner Casanova. Now, why don’t you go set the table and I’ll work on making us another egg.”

“I can do that,” Jackson assures bashfully, as he grabs some plates and heads into the dining room. Arranging two placemats opposite each other on the square table, Jackson makes sure to leave plenty of room for the bibimbap bowl. On his way back to the kitchen to grab some chopsticks and chili paste, Jackson passes Mark and finds himself easily distracted by the way Mark’s muscles flex carrying the heavy dish. Turning his head to keep ogling his boyfriend, Jackson promptly walks into the doorway and tries to play it cool by examining the frame. After briefly keeping his position to maintain his image, Jackson completes his task and returns to the table to find himself face to face with [ the most beautiful dinner ](https://img.taste.com.au/GCNQj_nP/w506-h253-cfill/taste/2016/11/bibimbap-92850-1.jpeg) he’s ever seen.

Atop a pile of steamed rice, shredded cucumber and sliced courgette add a pop of vibrant green, while julienned carrots supplement a lively orange color. To balance out the energy, shitake mushrooms and bean sprouts are displayed diagonally across the bowl. Providing an extra flare and deep contrast is a mound of barbecued beef. But the star of the show is the lightly fried egg sitting upon the dish, dousing everything in a ray of sunshine. When Mark plunges the spoon in, the egg breaks and fades into a serene sunset as it mixes with the chili paste and disperses through the rice.

“This is absolutely delicious,” Jackson professes as they both dig in and are treated to an explosion of flavor. “Seriously, babe, thank you for cooking tonight.”

Sitting down, Mark assures, “It’s not a problem. You had quite the long day at the gym, and I wanted to make you something nice to come home to. Speaking of, how did your training go?”

Through a mouthful of food, Jackson mumbles,“I swear I can barely feel my legs anymore, but it was so good. Jooheon and I had a friendly competition to see who could do more squats, who could bench more, and who could run furthest. Obviously, yours truly won them all,” Jackson finishes with a wink.

With a roll of his eyes and a fond smile, Mark agrees, “Of course. I wouldn’t expect anything else.”

“Oh!” Jackson exclaims. “You’ll never guess who I ran into today.”

Scooting forward in his chair and placing his chin into his cupped hands, Mark dramatically teases, “The president? Lee Min Ho?”

“I’m going to pretend you asked nicely,” Jackson sniffs with a pointed frown. “My senior from college, Namjoon, wandered into the gym today inquiring about buying a membership. I saw him chatting with Amber at the front desk and had to stop by to say hello to him.”

“Namjoon? Is he the tall one that got into a rapping contest with some random dude on the street after drinking too much one night?” Receiving an affirmative laugh in response, Mark asks, “What’s he up to nowadays? I bet it was good to catch up.”

Nodding his head, Jackson confirms, “It was great. Turns out he’s actually a math professor at the university nearby. He had a class later in the day, but his lunch block was free, so he treated me to noodles at this hole in the wall restaurant on campus. Apparently not a lot of people know about it, so it remains this hidden treasure for all the professors.”

“You’ll have to take me sometime,” Mark suggests.

“Without question,” Jackson agrees. “Ah! I almost forgot. Namjoon and I actually saw Jinyoung in passing today and we chatted for a couple minutes before Jinyoung had to leave for lecture. I guess Namjoon knows Jinyoung since they’re both faculty.”

“Wow, small world,” Mark observes.

“Enough about me though; how was your day at work?” Jackson queries.

Mark wipes his mouth with a napkin and confesses, “I’m feeling a little out of my depth. Now that my first week is over, they’ve decided to really test my abilities and put me in charge of designing the graphics for a new game, which would be great if it were just me; but, it’s not. The game is still in the concept phase, so now I have to lead group discussions to determine the direction of the project, and I’m having serious issues with some of the other team members.”

Taking in Mark’s helpless expression, Jackson tries to comfort him. “I’m sure things will get better the more time you spend working with the team. They’ll see how fantastic of a designer you are, and although I know you hate being the center of attention, I’m sure you’ll get used to being in a position of management.”

Shaking his head, Mark refutes, “It’s not that they don’t want to listen or that I feel uncomfortable heading discussions. Their ideas are just _so_ bad and I’m running out of ways to gently let them down.”

“They can’t be that bad,” Jackson counters. “You work for a great company with some of the best minds in game development.”

With a dubious stare and raise of his eyebrow, Mark drones, "One of the developers suggested a boy love concept where the user can meet and speak with their favorite kpop idols. He came up with the cheesiest interactions I've ever heard, including, but not limited to: ‘You like me, don’t you’ said by a guy tossing a basketball; a skateboarder saying ‘I told you to stand by me’; and the last guy awkwardly feeding a girl ice cream before asking what she thinks of him.”

"Hahahaha. Can you imagine?" Jackson cackles. Satisfied that his boyfriend finds the idea just as distasteful, Mark smiles and portions out more meat to place on Jacksons plate. However, Jackson immediately follows up with, "I would buy that so fast! It sounds like it would be so funny to play." Hearing this, Mark promptly takes back the ribs and places them on his own plate instead. There's no way he's wasting prime beef on such an idiot. Thankfully, Jackson was too caught up laughing to notice Mark's movements, so he is able to escape without being subjected to any pouting or whining.

"That idea aside, the only other suggestions have been shooter or racing games which I'm not sure are enough to impress the higher ups," Mark continues. "I haven't told anyone this yet, but I've been thinking about making a quest game."

"Oh yeah? Tell me more," Jackson requests.

"So the basic premise is that there's a young prince who was hidden away right after he was born because a manipulative sorcerer was after his heart. It's rumored that his smile is so bright they had to send him to the darkest forest in order to hide him. The knight with the best sword skills was the only person allowed to accompany him, and the player has to bring them both back to the castle. To help the player navigate the game, two companions will show up once you reach a certain level. I'm thinking of making them mostly helpful, but also able to get the player into trouble. At the very end of the game when they reach the castle, they'll have to battle the sorcerer and his partner who can turn into a huge dragon."

“That sounds pretty cool,” Jackson declares. “You should definitely pitch this at your next meeting.”

With growing excitement, Mark resumes prattling on about the game. “I could program in the ability to jump not only over things, but sideways to avoid obstacles. There’s this new code I’ve been working on that will allow for smoother transitions, less jerky movements, and…”

Jackson lets Mark’s voice fade into the background as he gets into more and more technical jargon. Sometimes he does this, just watches Mark speak, with larger hand movements the more animated he becomes about a topic, instead of actually hearing the words coming out of Mark’s mouth. It’s much more enjoyable to simply place his head in his palm and study the way Mark’s eyes glimmer above cheekbones highlighted by the soft glow of the dining room lamp. He couldn’t care less what the interface looks like compared to Mark’s face, but he sits and listens patiently as his boyfriend continues on.

“...so it may take a while, but I’m sure I could do it,” Mark finishes with a swing of his arm, almost knocking over his glass of water.

“I believe in you, Mark. And so will everyone else when you explain it to them with the enthusiasm you just showed me,” asserts Jackson.

Blushing, Mark is too embarrassed to reply, self-conscious from the support Jackson has given him, so he decides to shovel some rice in his mouth instead. Eyeing the kimchi, Mark diverts the conversation and asks, “Hey, could you pass the-”

A loud scraping sound, like a heavy piece of furniture sliding across the floor, interrupts his request and Mark is left with his hand outstretched over the table. Mark and Jackson share a confused glance before recognition flits across both their expressions. “Oh my god!” they both exclaim at the same time.

Dropping his voice down to a dramatic whisper, Jackson asks, “Is that Jaebeom and Jinyoung? That sure didn’t take long.”

“I can’t believe they’d be so shameless,” Mark giggles. Suddenly he pauses, and in a confused tone questions, “Wait, don’t we share a ceiling with Youngjae, BamBam, and Yugyeom? How could it be Jaebeom and Jinyoung?”

“It couldn’t be Yugyeom and BamBam, could it? No, those two are too innocent,” Jackson denies.

“I mean, they did seem like they were more than just friends, so maybe…” Mark trails off.

More banging noises coupled with a few yelps are heard from above.

_Yugyeom! I need you right now; I can’t reach it by myself._

Jackson clutches his chest and gasps in shock. “NO no no…” At this point, Jackson is squeezing his eyes shut and clamping his hands over his ears as if that will protect him from the reality that his precious young neighbors engage in any behavior that’s less than innocent.

Mark yanks Jackson’s hands away to tease, “Do you think he’s talking about what it sounds like? You know that spot can be very hard to reach on your own.” Moaning, as if the very thought gives him pain, Jackson shakes his head and begs Mark, “Please don’t make this any worse.”

_Bam, look at the mess you made! Why did you think you could do this yourself?_

_I was desperate! Anyways, you’re here now so you better take charge._

After a short pause, a long, high-pitched wail pierces through the floor and into their apartment.

Stunned, Mark comments, “Damn. I didn’t think Yugyeom had it in him. Bambam sure has a huge pair of lungs though.”

_Tell me how I’m doing and if I got it._

Repeated, rhythmic banging reverberates through the floor, only slowing down towards the end. At this point, Mark has started to lose his previous sense of humor as he wonders just how long the two can go on. As much as he enjoys the frightened look on Jackson’s face, they were in the middle of dinner and the sounds from above are making it hard to eat.

_Come on! Hit it harder. You keep missing it and I know you’re holding back._

_I can’t help it! The angle is weird._

Jackson’s eyes widen as he pictures what exactly his neighbors are up to. He imagines Yugyeom between Bambam’s legs, trying to get closer, but struggling to arrange their long limbs. They’re both young enough to have limited experience and they’re probably still in the phase where they’re figuring out each other’s bodies. He remembers the early stages of his relationship with Mark, comprised of much more fumbling and discovering what felt good. Shaking his head to dispel the dirty images his mind so unhelpfully conjured, Jackson tries to block his ears and focus on anything else.

_Wait, wait. Let me move a little. There your hands can fit now!_

Shell shocked, Mark and Jackson find themselves unable to speak. Looking at each other with equally terrified expressions, they both hope they heard wrong or that the previous statement did _not_ mean what it sounded like. Now frozen in a horrified stupor, they can do nothing but listen as their neighbors upstairs get even louder.

More banging, even louder and stronger than before torments them, like some sick chiming of a clock.

_That’s it. Yeah, get it. You’re killing it!_

A drawn out and satisfied _YESSSSSS!_ further increases the suffering of the downstairs couple.

_Ah finally. I was working really hard and you just kept screaming in my ear._

_Hey! I can’t help it. You know I’m a screamer._

_That’s true but one of these days, I am going to find a way to muzzle you._

“A muzzle?” Jackson weakly murmurs.

_But, if you do that, you wouldn't be able to hear me say ‘Thank you Gyeomie. You’re amazing and always know how to make me relax.’_

With trepidation, Jackson asks, “How long was this lease again?”

“Two years,” Mark replies lifelessly.

“I’m going to puke,” Jackson states, before rushing out of the room to lock himself in the bathroom. While he doesn’t have quite as violent a reaction as his boyfriend, Mark finds that his previously healthy appetite has completely disappeared.

 

\-------

 

_What actually happened in Room 305_

 

Unlocking the door and stepping into the apartment, Yugyeom sees Bambam sitting alone in the living room with only the background noise of the television to keep him company. Dragging his feet along the carpet and finally slumping next to Bambam, Yugyeom rests his head against the back of the couch while throwing his legs on top of the coffee table. Sighing, Yugyeom begins, “I’m mad at you Bam. You wouldn’t guess who came up to me today when I was walking to Multivariable Calc.”

Always one to fully dedicate himself to guessing games but confused as to why Yugyeom was annoyed at him, Bambam begins to list off names with a growing amount of enthusiasm. “Was it Jungkook...or Mingyu, no wait...Lisa? Hmm, maybe it was Seokmin or Minghao. Ooh, I got it! Jaeh-!”

Yugyeom, not entirely in the mood to go along with Bambam’s usual theatrics, cuts him off and grumbles, “No, it was Park Jimin and she said that she saw us a week ago when we went out to dinner. Do you know what night I’m talking about?” With a pointed and expecting look, Yugyeom waits a few seconds before he decides to just continue and not give Bambam the chance to start guessing again. “Well, I’m just going to tell you. It was the time you forced me to go into public with you after you made me _model_ the new lipstick you were excited about.”

“Ahh yeah, that was a good color,” Bambam responds dreamily. “But why are you bringing that up and complaining? You lost that bet fair and square; so as the loser, that was the agreed punishment!”

Pouting since Bambam’s point was accurate, Yugyeom grumpily responds, “But I lose almost every time so it’s not _fair_. Jimin said that it looked like I was mauled in a supply closet. Plus, since you were right next to me, wearing the same shade of lipstick, and smirking the whole time, everyone guessed that you were the one to do it. Ah, it was so embarrassing to try to explain to her what happened!”

Hearing this explanation, Bambam laughs until tears are streaming down his face and he is curled into the corner of the couch. Every so often, he would stretch out his legs and kick Yugyeom’s thigh with his foot, in time with his laughs. But after a few moments, Bambam manages to control himself enough to be able to form words again and snickers, “Oh god, that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all week. I wish I could’ve been there to see her accusing you of being _involved_ with me.” But seeing Yugyeom’s lack of mutual laughter, he sobers slightly and adds in a more composed manner, “Don’t worry about it Gyeomie. It doesn’t matter what other people think. We’re best friends and no matter what, we’ll be best friends for life! I think everyone else just doesn’t get it because they think that everyone who has a connection is automatically together.” Bambam ends his statement with a resolute nod and wholehearted confidence. “Yugyeom, they just aren’t on our level yet.”

Beginning to be swayed by the words of his best friend, Yugyeom can feel his head nodding without his expressed permission. Bambam immediately picks up on Yugyeom’s weakening annoyance; he turns to Yugyeom and pokes him in the arm until he looks over with a sigh. But before he can voice his exasperation, Bambam grabs Yugyeom’s face between his hands and after a second of staring at his startled face, Bambam proceeds to squeeze with full force.

“Bah wha are you eben doin?” Yugyeom tries to yelp through his excessively puckered mouth.

But with a saccharine smile and eyes open wide, Bambam ignores his question and sweetly states, “Yugyeom, I freaking love you.”

Yanking the too-tight hands from his face, Yugyeom bursts into laughter and shoves Bambam until he topples over with his face planting on the seat of the couch. “Shut up, Bam. Do you _have_ to be so annoying?” Yugyeom gasps as an embarrassed blush spreads across his face. Still giggling, he falls back to slouch onto the couch next to Bambam and waits for him to right himself.

Bambam, using his arms to push himself back up, notices that the way in which Yugyeom slumped into the couch made for a great headrest. Seeing a prime opportunity for the taking, Bambam whoops, “ _It’s free real estate_ ,” and lays his head in Yugyeom’s lap, which earns him a light flick on the ear.

Laughing at how he always manages to infuse any situation with some sort of meme, Yugyeom sets his hand into Bambam’s hair and slowly begins to comb his fingers through to right any unruly strands. “You’re such an idiot. How can I put up with you?”

Bambam exhales steadily as he closes his eyes and drowsily replies, “It was too easy, I had to drop that meme in. Anyways, I know you love it.” Having no counter, Yugyeom snorts once and the two sit in relative silence for a few moments. The slow, rhythmic motions of Yugyeom’s hand seem to soothe them both but before Bambam can completely doze off, his eyes pop open. He sits upright and Yugyeom, lifting his head from where it began to lean on the neck of the couch, looks at him questioningly.

“Wait Gyeomie, before I forget to ask, are you still annoyed about the bet?” Bambam asks with a fair bit of trepidation as he looks down and begins to tug on the ends of his shirt sleeves. “I know I said that you earned that punishment fair and square, but the next time we play, I can get the same punishment. So then, I would also walk around with lipstick on my face and you wouldn’t have to be embarrassed anymore.” Peeking up to meet Yugyeom’s eyes, he ends with a nervous chuckle, “You know, strength in numbers and all that jazz.”

Eyes crinkling and a warm smile on his face, Yugyeom replies, “Of course I’m not annoyed anymore, Bam. I think I just got caught up in all of Jimin’s drama; you know how she gets.” He pauses to meet Bambam’s now hopeful gaze, “But that doesn’t change the fact that that lipstick punishment _was_ pretty embarrassing.” With a smirk, Yugyeom flicks Bambam in the center of his forehead, “So you are definitely going to get it next time!”

But before Bambam could even shift his expression to reflect his indignation, Yugyeom gently continues, “I would kiss you right here,” as he softly taps his finger twice on the same spot as the previous hurt. “So then, everyone would be able to see it and there’d be a rule that you wouldn’t be able to use your bangs to hide it.”

Brows smoothing and all of the remaining nervous tension leaving his body, Bambam quietly chortles, “You’re like a little grandma. Kissing me there. But sure, if that’s what you want.”

“Hey, you just got off the hook. Do you really want to test me, Bam?” Yugyeom asks with one raised brow and an unimpressed look. He and Bambam both know that there isn’t a chance of him getting annoyed at this usual level of teasing. But even so, Bambam plays along and raises both hands as if in surrender and replies, “Woah, message received. I think I’ll just shut my mouth and sit pretty then.”

Letting that statement sit in the air for a few moments, they both snort into their hands once Bambam’s words actually register. With a whisper of a smile still on his face, Bambam stands from the couch. “Alright, Gyeomie, I was watching tv until you came home from class. But since you’re back, our room is calling my name. Did you want to join me in lounging in bed and watching a movie on my laptop?”

Shaking his head, Yugyeom sighs, “Nah. I wanted to go through my SNS for a bit and then get started on dinner. This morning, I think Youngjae said he was really in the mood for noodles? So I was planning on making that; sound good to you too?”

“Noodles after I lie in bed for an hour? Hell yeah, that sounds good to me.”

Entirely too familiar with Bambam getting excited about the promise of food, especially when he doesn’t have to make it, Yugyeom chuckles, “Alright then, that’s the plan. Enjoy your movie Bam. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”

Departing with a salute and a swift turn towards their bedroom, Bambam leaves the living room. Yugyeom has a few moments of relative peace but right as he clicks on his messaging app to check the notifications he missed throughout the day, he hears Bambam yelp and a few dull thuds from the other room.

“Uh, Bambam? Are you alright?” Yugyeom calls out distractedly. Not quite worried yet, he remains sitting on the couch and tries to read the various messages Youngjae and Jungkook sent him when he was in class. Being roommates and best friends with Bambam for years, he is well-versed in all of the reasons that Bambam might suddenly make an outburst of noise. So to spare his energy and decrease the likelihood of him having a heart attack at the tender age of 20, Yugyeom usually assumes the best. Therefore, he can easily go about his business and act like Bambam didn’t just scream.

But, as if he is all too aware that Yugyeom is not taking his outburst seriously, Bambam yells with a level of desperation, “Yugyeom! I need you right now; I can’t reach it by myself.”

Finally looking up, Yugyeom mutters to himself, “Hmm. I guess it’s actually serious this time?” He looks one last time at the picture of a baby otter Youngjae sent him and captioned, “Be honest. Who’s cuter? Me or this baby otter?” and tosses his phone to the opposite corner of the couch. Not quite knowing what to expect, Yugyeom slowly approaches their bedroom and is presented with the scene of Bambam standing on their bed and bouncing up and down in panic. Various shoes and books that were once neatly organized in their closet and desk respectively, have since been thrown haphazardly at one corner of the room. Armed with another shoe and their desk lamp in his hands, Bambam’s gaze is locked on a single dime-sized spider sitting serenely on the wall. As if his mouth is frozen, Yugyeom just watches as Bambam fumbles with the shoe in his hand and launches it at the wall, missing the spider by a good 3 or 4 inches.

Almost in slow motion, Yugyeom watches Bambam gradually shift the lamp and move it to his throwing arm. With thoughts of losing the security deposit that they put on the place and Youngjae’s ‘I’m not angry, but disappointed’ face running through his mind, Yugyeom’s arm shoots out and grabs Bambam’s. “Bam, look at the mess you made! Why did you think you could do this yourself?”

Turning toward Yugyeom and taking his eyes off of the spider, Bambam frantically exclaims, “I was desperate! Anyways, you’re here now so you better take charge.” He turns back to the wall and freezes.

In a whisper brimming with fear, Bambam asks, “Yugyeom? Where’s the spider? It’s not in the corner anymore. Where coul-” Cutting himself off, Bambam releases a long, high-pitched wail and with the helpless expression of a person whose luxury yacht is sinking, he resumes whispering, “Gyeom. It’s. It’s crawling toward the bed.”

Bambam jumps off the bed and with his feet thumping on the ground, hurries to hide behind Yugyeom’s much larger frame. Standing on his toes, Bambam puts his hands on Yugyeom’s shoulder and peeks at the crawling spider from his new safe spot. With fear still coloring his voice, Bambam quietly whimpers, “Yugyeom. If we don’t kill this thing, I won’t be able to sleep in the bed for months. Please. I love our bed.”

“What should I do? It’s crawling near the bed now. Should I just try to smash it with the bed frame?” Yugyeom turns to ask Bambam in an equally hushed voice. “I think that would be the easiest way?”

Only receiving a mute nod from his best friend, Yugyeom sighs and grasps the bed frame with both hands. With a much calmer demeanor and way of speaking, Yugyeom firmly directs Bambam. “Tell me how I’m doing and if I got it.” Again, not receiving any sort of verbal confirmation, Yugyeom loudly repeats himself in order to catch Bambam’s attention, which is laser-focused on the spider slowly crawling along the wall next to their bed.

With a sigh, Yugyeom reestablishes his grip on the bed frame and begins to repeatedly shove it against the wall in hopes of smashing the spider. Distractedly, he looks at the ground and can see multiple lines in the layer of dust where the legs of the frame are scraping the floor. Yugyeom thinks to himself, _hmm we should really get around to vacuuming in here,_ and inadvertently, his movements slow.

Sensing Yugyeom’s wandering mind and his lack of complete dedication to the task at hand, Bambam loudly reprimands, “Come on! Hit it harder. You keep missing it and I know you’re holding back.”

Not appreciative of being called out for his inattention, Yugyeom defensively retorts, “I can’t help it! The angle is weird,” which is partly true. The spider, frightened from the commotion of the bed thumping against the wall, had crawled into the corner of the room where it remained safe from Yugyeom’s efforts. With his hold at the foot of the bed, no matter how he tries to orient the bed into hitting the corner, Yugyeom is unable to reach. Shoving the bed frame into the wall one last time with more force to express his frustration, Yugyeom stands and shakes his head. Sighing, he mutters, “Bam, this just isn’t going to work like this. Can you help me shove the mattress a little so I can get a hold of the corner from underneath? If I can hold the bottom of the frame rather than the post, I think I will be able to get more leverage and shove it harder.”

“Yeah, we just need to be careful not to move it too close to the wall because then the spider could crawl onto the mattress.” Bambam reasons and the two of them slowly scoot the mattress to uncover more of their bed frame. Realizing that he was still leaning over the mattress, thus blocking one edge of the frame from Yugyeom’s reach and that the spider was beginning to start crawling again, Bambam urges, “Wait, wait. Let me move a little. There your hands can fit now!”

Complete with a little nudge from Bambam to move him into position, Yugyeom crouches, grips the new handhold on the frame, and resumes slamming the bed into the wall. But this time, with the change in strategy, the hits of the bed are falling remarkably close to the spider that is now frozen in fear.

Bambam bends at the waist to put his head next to Yugyeom’s and seeing the edge of the bed frame hit the corner just right, he yells in encouragement, “That’s it. Yeah, get it. You’re killing it!”

Yugyeom figures that the spider is more than dead at this point, but just to be cautious, he continues to slam the bed into the wall. He does not want to be woken up in the middle of the night to Bambam’s screams of a half-dead spider and accusations of him half-assing it. So Yugyeom waits for Bambam’s signal and when he hears the drawn out and satisfied, “YESSSSSS!,” Yugyeom finally drops his hands and leans back on them to sit on the floor.

Looking up at a now smiling Bambam, Yugyeom noisily complains, “Ah finally. I was working really hard and you just kept screaming in my ear.” Rubbing one ear in an effort to make Bambam feel at least a little remorseful, Yugyeom watches as his best friend’s face remains just as gleeful as ever; an ounce of shame nowhere in sight.

“Hey! I can’t help it. You know I’m a screamer.” Bambam replies followed by a proud look. But to acknowledge all of Yugyeom’s hard work, he reaches a hand down to help him get up and off the floor.

Taking the hand, Yugyeom motions for Bambam’s other hand to join his first. More often than not, when Bambam tries to lift Yugyeom up with only one arm, it ends with Yugyeom pulling too hard and the two ending up in a pile on the ground. So to spare any needless bruises, Bambam extends his other arm and Yugyeom grips them both to be hauled upward.

With a mock glare and a point to Bambam’s grinning mouth, Yugyeom retorts, “That’s true but one of these days, I am going to find a way to muzzle you.”

Not at all fazed, Bambam merely sing-songs, “But, if you do that, you wouldn't be able to hear me say ‘Thank you Gyeomie. You’re amazing and always know how to make me relax.’” In an attempt to be cute, Bambam begins to jump around Yugyeom and take turns between murmuring, “Thank you, Gyeomie” and poking him.

Mouth twitching from trying to hold back his laughter, which would only serve to reinforce this kind of behavior from Bambam, Yugyeom does his best to remain strong. Bambam watches with delight as Yugyeom sports an exaggerated grimace on his face and keeps his eyes locked on the wall in front of him. They both know that if Bambam manages to catch Yugyeom’s eyes, it will be all over so Bambam begins to hop lightly in the air in front of his face.

Eyes darting all over to avoid the happiness that basically shoots out of Bambam’s overly excited gaze, Yugyeom finally relents and the two crumple into a heap on their bed as they laugh. With one final poke, Bambam says, “For real though, Gyeom. You’re a lifesaver.”

Smiling, Yugyeom responds, “It’s no big deal deal, Bam, really.” However, as he says this, an idea pops into his head and with an innocent look, he adds, “But you know what? All of that spider killing really tired me out so I don’t know if I have enough energy to cook dinner by myself.”

“Ayyy, I know what you’re up to. But fine, I’ll help,” Bambam remarks with a knowing look. “You’re lucky that spider was so big or I could have taken care of it by myself!”

Nodding his head along with Bambam’s words but not believing a bit of it, Yugyeom quips, “Yeah, I bet. Tell yourself that the next time there’s anything with more than 4 legs in our room.” He rolls off the bed and begins to make his way to the kitchen and hears Bambam do the same. “Oh wait, before we forget. Should we get a napkin and clean the spider off the wall? It’s probably still stuck there.”

With an adamant shake of his head, Bambam waves his hands in the air to signal his definitive position and insists, “No. We leave it there to show all of its spider friends not to mess with us or come into our room. We don’t play around.”

“Uh huh, right. I guess that makes sense to me.” Yugyeom shrugs and drops the subject. “Hey, do you think we can finish cooking before Youngjae gets home from his study session?”

“Definitely! We can surprise him since I am pretty sure he thought he was just mumbling to himself when he said he wanted noodles,” Bambam stated. “We have about 45 minutes before he gets home so this is going to be…”

“EASY,” the two holler in sync. With that, the pair begin to prepare dinner; none the wiser of the torment they just inflicted on their neighbors and their now cold dinners.

 

\-------

 

The clock sitting on Mark’s nightstand shifts from 7:59 to 8:00 AM and the alarm rings out in the quiet room. Within a second, a hand reaches out to slam the off button, effectively stopping the noise. Rolling over to face Jackson, Mark can see that he already looks wide awake. Since it usually takes Jackson at least five minutes to even open his eyes on a good day, Mark is surprised to see his boyfriend’s head not still buried under his pillow. After a closer look, he can see the dark circles under Jackson’s eyes with their slightly bloodshot quality and is sure that this a perfect mirror of his own face.

Softly, as to not startle Jackson who seems to be in a daze, Mark asks “Did you manage to sleep last night?”

“I tried, but then every time I closed my eyes, I would _hear_ them again in my mind. Then I thought about the lease agreement we signed and that made everything even worse,” Jackson monotonously replies. Not even turning to face Mark, he continues to just stare at the ceiling.

Mark sighs and turns away from Jackson to return to lying on his back. “Yeah, me too. Who knew those two innocent faces could hurt us like this?” Eyes following the various ridges and marks above him, Mark looks for answers he knows he won’t find in the basic patterns in the plaster. Sighing once more, he nudges Jackson, “Well, there isn’t much we can do. I am not going to get involved in any of _that_ and confront them or anything, so I guess we just have to learn to live with it.”

Not quite whimpering, but letting helplessness bleed into his voice, Jackson only manages to weakly reply, “I thought you were going to say that. This is probably why you had a bad feeling about this place when we were packing the moving truck a couple weeks ago.”

Mark can only nod, “Yeah, I guess so. But anyways, enough of this. We have a long day ahead of us so we should start getting ready.” He grabs Jackson’s hand in his and gives one strong squeeze before climbing out of bed. Ruffling his hair as he yawns, Mark walks toward their closet to get dressed. But as he places his hands on the hem of his sleep shirt to remove it, Mark turns around with a gleam in his eyes expecting to meet Jackson’s customary morning leer. Usually all for the little _show_ Mark puts on when he changes into his work clothes, today, Jackson is still stuck staring upwards.

Gaze softening, Mark resumes getting dressed normally and when he finishes, walks over to Jackson, who is still in the same position, and strokes the hair off his forehead. “Jia Er, I know this whole situation is strange, but I think we can get through it. Come on, talk to me.”

Nodding minutely, Jackson replies, “Yeah, you’re right. I just need some more time to process I think,” and with a shudder, continues, “I’m convinced that Yugyeom and Bambam are little monsters in disguise. Precious, but then... _all of that_ hiding under the surface. How does poor Youngjae do it?” Eyes widening, Jackson sits up quickly and grips Mark’s arms tightly, “Oh my god. Do you think we need to save Youngjae? That poor soul has been living with them for _god knows_ how long. Maybe all of his sunny smiles were cries of help!”

Snorting, Mark attempts to calm Jackson down and resumes brushing his hair off his forehead, “Ah, Jackson. I don’t think anyone could be live in torment for years and radiate that much natural happiness. He’s probably fine and loves living with his two best friends.”

“Well just in case, I am going to keep a eye on him and at the slightest hint of his beautiful smile dimming, I am going to be all over Yugyeom and Bambam’s cases.” Jackson vows as he raises his fist in the air.

Chuckling, Mark brushes his fingers through one last time and stands. “Youngjae’s lucky he has you on his side. But right now, we need to get ready to leave for work and the gym. Let’s go, it’s already 8:24.”

“Oh god, I need to leave by 8:30 in order to stay on schedule,” Jackson gasps as he hurriedly jumps out of bed and rushes to change out of his pajamas. “Mark, could you get a protein shake ready for me please?”

“Yes, I’m on it. Don’t worry,” Mark responds as he heads to the kitchen to get a quick breakfast prepared for the both of them. He busies himself with making some toast, pours coffee into his thermos, and cooks some eggs to go with the shake for Jackson. As Mark turns off the stove, Jackson rounds the corner dressed in his training suit and has his duffel bag on his shoulder.

“Thanks babe, you’re the best.” Jackson chirps happily before he begins to shovel the eggs into his mouth. “I’m going to be home later than normal today because Jooheon and I are going to go-karting for a bit. But I should be home by dinner time, so do you want me to pick up something on the way home?”

Tapping his finger on his chin in contemplation, Mark responds, “Hmm. How about some fried chicken and beer? I feel like we both deserve a treat and your dietary regime can take a break for one night right?”

Winking, Jackson whispers, “Promise you won’t tell my coach and I think we have a deal.” He extends his pinky and holds it in the air, “But, I think I need you to pinky swear. For legal purposes.”

A wide smile on his face and eyes warm with how much he treasures the person in front him, Mark wraps his pinky around Jackson’s. “God, you’re such a goof. But yes, it’s a deal.”

“If I’m a goof, then you’re the dope that’s in love with me.” Jackson replies with a fond look. His eyes catch the clock behind Mark’s head and widen in shock. “Oh shit, it’s 8:42. Mark, we both need to go!” Grabbing his protein shake in one hand and Mark’s coffee mug in the other, Jackson rushes to the door and calls out behind him, “Maaaark. Get your butt into gear!”

Mark grabs the keys and strolls out of their apartment. He stops to lock and check the door before joining Jackson in the stairwell and the two continue down to the lobby. But when they reach the landing, they see two familiar faces in front of them.

With his eye crinkles out in full display, [ Jinyoung ](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/6d/d7/46/6dd746a2f0b27e5aa3796e4bbd9581d8.jpg) is smoothing out [ Jaebeom’s shirt ](https://pm1.narvii.com/6424/2c528785a68617ef7dba52ba2f09a8b073fdd200_hq.jpg) and taking his sweet time doing so.

“I know you’re just using this as an excuse to feel me up one last time before we both leave for work,” Jaebeom accuses lightly.

Jinyoung’s smile turns into a smirk and slowly, he begins to draw his hands away from Jaebeom’s chest. “Well, if my efforts of making my husband presentable for his job aren’t even being appreciated, then I guess I’ll just stop.” He flicks his eyes up to meet Jaebeom’s and as he drags one last finger across to withdraw, a hand catches his wrist.

“Hey, hey. I never said to stop. I just like calling you out on your shit,” Jaebeom replies with a smirk of his own and moves Jinyoung’s hands to clasp behind his neck.

The two continue to stare at each other for a few moments and the tension between them increases beyond what Mark believes is appropriate for the lobby of an apartment building. He thinks to himself, _Well I guess I don’t feel that dumb for thinking that last night was Jinyoung and Jaebeom at first. I bet these two are just as bad_.

Along the same lines, Jackson thinks to himself, _Whew. Glad that Mark and I aren’t sharing a wall with this crazy couple too_ , and then shakes himself out of it to greet their upstairs neighbors. “Jaebeom, Jinyoung. What are you two up to on this fine morning?”

Smiling one last time at each other, the two turn to greet Jackson and Mark. But upon seeing them, Jinyoung’s face shifts into surprise and he tilts his head minutely to the side. “Are you two alright? You both look pretty haggard.”

Just as worried, Jaebeom adds, “Are you two coming down with something? Jinyoung says that a lot of students at the college are getting sick too. My mom gave me a great get-well-soon soup recipe and I can definitely bring some down today after work.”

Sighing, Mark stops both of their worrying in its tracks. “No, we are perfectly healthy. Just weren’t able to sleep much last night.”

Grumpily, Jackson mumbles under his breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear, “Kids should not be allowed to do any of _that_ kind of thing.”

Jinyoung and Jaebeom’s expressions instantly clear and their look of concern is replaced with one of mirth. “Would you two happen to be talking about the weekly performance that Yugbam put on last night?”

“Yugbam?” Mark asks confused.

“WEEKLY?” Jackson explodes.

As if Jackson and Mark were experiencing déjà vu, the couple in front of them once again bursts into laughter and have trouble controlling themselves. With tears flowing and Jaebeom having to hold onto Jinyoung through his laughter, Jackson and Mark stand sullenly by as they once again question whether the couple was laughing at them or not.

Still chuckling, Jinyoung answers Mark’s question. “Yugbam is what Jaebeom and I call Yugyeom and Bambam. When you are woken up at 3 in the morning to the sounds of the two idiots having sex, using inventive curses with both of their names becomes a real mouthful.”

Jaebeom laughs and smiles hard enough to turn his eyes into crescents, “To answer your uh...question, Jackson. Yeah, the two of them usually do this kind of thing once or twice a week. Except that one time where I only managed to get about 3 hours of undisturbed sleep over 4 days.”

“Oh yeah that’s right! That was when Bambam went to Thailand for a week to visit his family. So when he came home, the two of them went crazy and kept us up for days.”

Jaebeom looks into Mark’s and then Jackson’s eyes and darkly grumbles, “These two will make your life a living hell so you better get used to it.”

Mark and Jackson, faces paling and failing to verbalize any words, only releasing a few disbelieving puffs of air, lean on each other for support.

“Beom. I think we broke them. Maybe we should have gone a little easier since this was their first time?” Jinyoung questions with a bit of trepidation. Waving a hand in front of both of their faces, Jinyoung upgrades to snapping his fingers a few times, and after a few moments of contemplation, decides to slap Jackson’s cheek lightly.

Jumping since that light tap was enough to drag him out of his mental tailspin, Jackson pouts, “You know, you two really should’ve given us some sort of warning about _Yugbam_. No neighborly concern; how shameful.”

Raising an unimpressed eyebrow, Jinyoung is unwilling to assume responsibility and merely rebuffs the blame. “We did. I told you to get a pair of earplugs remember?”

Mark, acknowledging Jinyoung’s point but still unhappy, irritably snaps, “Well, the next time you give a helpful hint, try to actually be helpful.”

Jaebeom snorts in response, “Alright, alright. We can stand here all day if you two want to continue blaming us, but that won’t solve anything. So, what are you planning to do about the Yugbam situation?”

Rolling his eyes and throwing his hands into the air in exasperation, Jackson answers, “Well, we definitely _aren’t_ going to confront either of them about this. You can’t just tell someone not to have sex in their own home; no matter how _loud_ or disturbing it is.” Taking a pause to shudder, he continues, “Both of you have been living here for a while, how do you deal with it?”

With smirking expressions mirrored on each of their faces, Jinyoung and Jaebeom answer in concert, “Retribution.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to satisfy our curiosity, please let us know what you thought Yugbam were up to before you read the behind the scenes section! As always, please leave a comment or kudos! Thank you for reading and see you next week. :)


	3. A Sticky Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugbam are a mess as usual and Jaebeom tells Jinyoung to focus only on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, in celebration of JUS2 and their debut album, we are back! We listened to [FOCUS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf27Hxrglrk/) on repeat when editing this chapter and it was the perfect backing track. Please make sure to check out the MV and rest of the album if you haven't yet!
> 
> Sorry that we disappeared for literal months! Wish we had a simple excuse, but life's complicated. Anyways, we cleared some stuff up and are really motivated to get back into our previous posting schedule. (But, we are currently about to graduate and need to complete our theses so don't be too sad or surprised if we are delayed because again, life's complicated). 
> 
> Moving onto talking about the fic, you might notice that the rating has changed...yeah that's for a reason and we hope you don't find our first attempt at explicit content too disappointing. But all in all, we had fun writing this chapter and hope you all have fun reading it as well. Thanks!

Hair still slightly damp from his shower, Jaebeom enters the living room and pads over to the couch where Jinyoung sits, still dressed in his suit from work, reading _Catcher in the Rye_. Without removing his eyes from his page, Jinyoung lifts his arms so Jaebeom can lay down with his head resting in Jinyoung’s lap. The elder takes a moment to relax, admiring the serene expression on his husband’s face, before reaching toward the end table to grab his slightly used version of _Veronika Decides to Die_. Both immersed in their own novels, the pair share several moments of peaceful comfort before being startled by a petulant whine from the other side of their living room wall.

_Can you take it out yet?_

_I like to keep it warm but it’s been in there for like half an hour right?_

_Yep, it’s been all warm and cozy for long enough!_

_You’re right, let’s get the real fun started. I’ll get the ice cream so don’t move!_

_Thank god Bam. I’ve been looking forward to this for hours._

Jinyoung lowers his book to give Jaebeom an incredulous look and asks, “Did he just say 30 minutes? How…can that twig last 30 minutes?”

Shaking his head, Jaebeom warns, “Jinyoung. Don’t get any ideas.”

“You’re no fun. Maybe I should leave you for a younger man,” Jinyoung teases as he ruffles Jaebeom’s hair. Pouting, Jaebeom shakes off Jinyoung’s hand and rolls onto his side, facing away from his amused smirk. He picks up his book again and does his best to fastidiously ignore the way Jinyoung giggles from above him. Unfortunately, the sound of muffled talking and objects being thrown to the ground next door are not as easy to disregard.

_Hurry and put it in! Your impatience is contagious or something because I can’t wait to taste it._

_Woah, it gets hard so fast._

_Yeah, I mean I knew this would happen but it’s awesome that it works so well!_

_Hey, you know what would make things even better? Chocolate syrup! You want it all over right?_

_Yeah, lay it on me!_ _Oh my god Gyeom...the syrup is getting everywhere. It’s a lot messier than I thought it would be._

_We’re doing this in bed. How did you think this would be clean?_

_That doesn’t matter! It’s all over the place, so what do we do?_

_Don’t worry, I got it._

_Yeah, we should just lick it up! Also, your tongue is pretty talented, you should make this into a job._

_Haha calm down Bambam. Oh oops, I think I missed a spot._

Jaebeom lets out a groan and buries his face in his book. “Dear God, do they ever stop,” he mumbles into the pages while Jinyoung sympathetically rubs his arm.

_Oh man, I think we used all the chocolate syrup!_

_Sorry, you know how I love choco shakes so I got too excited. But don’t worry, the whipped cream is right here._

“Now this is just not fair,” Jaebeom pouts, tossing his novel to the floor. “One of my dreams has always been to cover my whole body in chocolate. Now they get to live my dream while I’m stuck being a responsible adult.”

Struggling to take in that new bit of information, Jinyoung sets his own book aside and rubs his temples. “Why and how did I ever fall in love with you,” he mutters under his breath.

_Man, you always know just what I need!_

_Ahh don’t be so sappy._

_You think that was sappy? Yugyeom, I am sticky all over because you are even sweeter than all the ice cream and syrup._

_Bam, don’t say stuff like that! My mouth was full and I almost choked!_

Gaze hardening with determination, Jinyoung rises from the couch, dislodging Jaebeom in the process. “Even though I think your fantasy is beyond stupid, we are not letting them win,” he declares and leaves to go into the kitchen.

Jaebeom watches with curiosity and tries to focus on what Jinyoung might be up to, rather than the obnoxious pests next door. Jaebeom, all too familiar with how Jinyoung manages to always surprise him with things he never expected or even considered wanting, knows that he is in for something. He can hear the sound of Jinyoung’s measured steps in the kitchen and the rustling of grocery bags. “Must be something that Jinyoung picked up after work. I didn’t see anything that seemed out of place over the weekend,” Jaebeom muses to himself.

_Haha ok, I’ll stop now. But I was serious before. I feel sticky all over._

_Yeah, we definitely stained the sheets this time. Do you think all this will come out?_

_Huh, well let’s put them in the washer when we shower. Plus, we should clean up before Youngjae gets back from work. I don’t want to explain to him how this happened._

_You’re right. This was a lot of fun, but I am so exhausted._

Returning to living room, Jinyoung keeps his hands behind his back as if he is hiding some sort of surprise. Jaebeom’s curiosity is piqued even further as he sees that Jinyoung’s earlier grimace has been replaced with a smile too predatory to not involve Jaebeom in his latest scheme. “What do you have?” he asks, trying to sneak a glimpse.

Lips tilting further into a grin, Jinyoung sing-songs, “Guess who went shopping yesterday while being a responsible adult?” With a flourish, he reveals a bottle of strawberry syrup and says, “I know that your fantasy featured chocolate, but hopefully strawberries will suffice tonight.”

Face lighting up, Jaebeom bounds off the couch and places a kiss on Jinyoung’s cheek. “You know strawberries are my favorite and you also know my answer to that question.” Jaebeom steps one step closer and brushes his finger lightly against Jinyoung’s lower lip, “I really do love you,” he confesses quietly as he meets Jinyoung’s eyes.

Jinyoung blushes and thinks to himself, _Ah, this is why I can never get enough of him_. He then feels himself being pulled toward the bedroom by an eager Jaebeom. Planting his feet into the ground, Jinyoung stops Jaebeom before he can get too far. “Not so fast,” Jinyoung chides. “We need those brats to pay, but they won’t be able to hear if we go to our bed.” With that, Jinyoung removes his tie and places it around Jaebeom’s neck, leading him back to the living room and pushing him down to kneel on the floor.

Raising a questioning brow, Jaebeom asks, “What are you doing?” Getting nothing but a smile in return, Jaebeom reaches for the syrup, but Jinyoung slaps his hand away and grabs his chin.

“Tsk, tsk,” Jinyoung admonishes. “Only good boys get syrup, Beomie. Can you be good boy for me and let me have some fun first?” Jaebeom loudly swallows and gives a shaky nod of his head.

“Perfect,” Jinyoung silkily praises. “Now, take off your clothes.” Jaebeom complies immediately, as if he was born to take any command Jinyoung throws his way.

With Jaebeom tracking his every move, Jinyoung walks a slow circle around his kneeling husband before stopping behind his back and taking in the image presented to him. Neck straining to keep his eyes on Jinyoung, Jaebeom’s face was in profile; sharp nose, parted lips, and just a hint of the signature double moles below his brow. Dropping his gaze lower, Jinyoung moves his attention to the shifting movements of Jaebeom’s back and places both hands onto it. Noticing that it is warm to the touch yet stiff with unrelieved tension, Jinyoung begins to knead away any knots, continuing his ministrations upward until reaching his shoulders.

Jinyoung’s hands easily find the exact spots that seem to affect Jaebeom the most and before long, a low, drawn out moan leaves Jaebeom’s lips. Humming in satisfaction, Jinyoung leans to place his mouth against Jaebeom’s ear and croons, “Hmm, it seems like someone was _tense_. Are you nervous hyung?”

Stumbling over his words just a bit, Jaebeom insists, “N-no, I’m calm and I’m ready for...whatever you have planned.” Only hearing a deep chuckle in response, Jaebeom moves to turn his body to look at Jinyoung but is stopped by a tut behind him.

Jinyoung presses one finger firmly into the juncture of Jaebeom’s shoulder which was still too tense for his liking and Jaebeom releases another groan of gratitude. “Ah is that so? Well let’s see if you can keep that story up for the rest of the night hmm? Face forward Beomie, no peeking.” Jinyoung stops the massage and uses both hands to gently turn Jaebeom’s face forward.

“Do your worst Jinyoungie.” Jaebeom challenges with far more confidence than he truly feels. “I can do this all night, but tomorrow, it’s going to be your turn.” Although his words were overflowing with conviction, his actions tell another story. Jaebeom doesn’t allow his eyes to wander and can feel his body faintly shaking from the knowledge that goading Jinyoung will only make him try to prove a point and absolutely _ruin_ him.

All too aware of the front that Jaebeom insists on putting on, but enjoying how well he plays along, Jinyoung decides he wants to show Jaebeom just how much he appreciates his efforts. Maneuvering Jaebeom so that he is bent over the coffee table, Jinyoung runs his finger down his neck and across his shoulders.

Keeping his eyes locked straight ahead, Jaebeom cannot see what Jinyoung is doing behind him, but can hear the rustle of his clothes hit the ground. Distracted by his mental picture of Jinyoung watching him as he shed his own clothes, he does not expect the cold drip of syrup down the line of his back. Shivering slightly from the chill and anticipation of what was to come next, a cascade of ripples flow across Jaebeom’s back.

Jinyoung smiles at the obvious effect he is having on his hyung and is quick to chase the movement with his tongue. He continues to lick the syrup, following the ridges of Jaebeom’s spine, and lets the sweetness of the strawberries contrast with the saltiness of Jaebeom’s skin.

“You’re so good, Beomie,” Jinyoung hums. “Are you ready for your reward now?” But before he can even receive his answer, Jinyoung fists his hand in Jaebeom’s hair, tugging his head back for a deep kiss. Jaebeom lets out a groan as he tastes the strawberries on Jinyoung’s tongue, and cranes his neck further to get more of it. Pulling back, Jinyoung whispers into Jaebeom’s ear, “I haven’t quite had my fill yet. Get up on the couch, face the wall, and spread your legs so you can get your real treat.” Jaebeom lets out a curse, simultaneously feeling nervous and excited for the undoubted torture to come, and hurries to comply with Jinyoung’s request.

Jinyoung watches as Jaebeom gets into position, kneeling with his forearms resting on the couch, and takes a deep breath in. Walking closer, Jinyoung uses his knee to push Jaebeom’s thighs further apart. “Arch your spine more and let me see you properly Beom,” Jinyoung instructs, stroking the curve of Jaebeom’s hip. As he obeys, Jinyoung slides to his knees and tries to narrow down what he wants to do first. He begins by caressing down the outside of Jaebeom’s thighs, then back up along the sensitive skin until he reaches the swell of Jaebeom’s ass. Kneading the soft flesh with one hand, he uses the other to squeeze a trail of syrup right down the small of Jaebeom’s back until it drips lower and lower. Smirking at the hiss it brings out of his husband, Jinyoung starts to leisurely lap at the sticky substance, and teases Jaebeom with light licks of increasing pressure. He can feel Jaebeom tense with expectation every time he presses a soft kiss to his hole, before dripping more syrup and starting all over again. Knowing patience is not one of his husband’s strong suits, he decides to see how much further he can push.

“Are you enjoying this baby?” he asks and sees Jaebeom nod his head jerkily in response. “Why don’t you tell me just how much you are. And make sure to be extra loud so our neighbors know too. If you’re quiet, it reflects badly on me and makes it seem like I’m not great in bed,” he continues with smirk clearly evident in his voice. Deciding that he’s had enough of the gentle kisses and wanting to hear the desperation in Jaebeom’s voice, Jinyoung begins swirling his tongue around Jaebeom’s entrance.

“Fuck, Jinyoung! It feels good. I need more, please,” Jaebeom whines.

Smirking with satisfaction, Jinyoung increases the pressure of his tongue, giving his husband just what he asked for and finally pushes his tongue to curl it past his rim. Hearing Jaebeom’s breaths get more and more ragged, Jinyoung traces Jaebeom’s hole with his finger and presses it in alongside his tongue. He groans, feeling how the tightness around him slowly begins to yield from his ministrations, while the tenseness in Jaebeom’s overall frame builds. Interested in pulling more sounds from the man above him but intent on making him _reflect_ on his earlier challenge, Jinyoung forces himself to stop and slowly starts to withdraw.

Sensing Jinyoung’s change of pace and knowing exactly what he’s planning, Jaebeom arches his back even more, the need to keep Jinyoung’s touch on him superseding his previous pride. “No, please more,” Jaebeom pleads with a moan. “Give me another.”

Jinyoung decides to humor Jaebeom’s request, even if he would prefer more begging, and presses one last kiss before removing his finger altogether, to a sound of protest. He quickly reaches under the couch, searching for their stashed bottle of lube, and lets out a soft triumphant hum when he finds it. Uncapping it, he pours out a generous amount and slowly pushes in two fingers.

“Yesss,” Jaebeom hisses out, the stretch burning in the best way possible. It’s been so long since Jinyoung has worked him over and Jaebeom didn’t realize how much he missed it.

Twisting and scissoring his fingers, Jinyoung teases his husband without mercy. When Jaebeom loudly gasps that he’s close, Jinyoung reaches out and wraps his hand around the base of Jaebeom’s cock, preventing him from coming. Meanwhile, he adds another finger to find Jaebeom’s prostate and brushes against it relentlessly. From above, he can hear Jaebeom’s cries getting louder and louder, just as he intended. He loves this, prepping his husband and turning him into a whining mess, focused only on reaching his own release, and Jinyoung always makes sure that Jaebeom earns it. He hopes his pesky neighbors can hear how beautiful his Beommie sounds, begging for Jinyoung to fill him up and let him come.

After denying Jaebeom for the third time and hearing only a pitiful whimper in response, Jinyoung taunts, “You used to be able to handle edging for much longer than this. I mean, we aren’t teens anymore and you are kind of like an old man, so maybe we should just throw in the towel and stop now.” With that, Jinyoung pretends to draw away once more, but is startled when he feels Jaebeom tightly grab his wrist.

“You didn’t think I’d let you get away with a comment like that, did you?” Jaebeom asks, turning around to see the surprised look on Jinyoung’s face. Eyes widening further with trepidation, Jinyoung attempts to break free of Jaebeom’s hold, but is met with firm resistance as Jaebeom slides off the couch and crowds him. “It’s my turn to play now,” Jaebeom darkly promises as he manhandles Jinyoung into a reclining position on the couch and crawls between his legs. Keeping his eyes locked on Jinyoung’s, Jaebeom picks up the discarded bottle of syrup, pops the cap open with his mouth, and proceeds to drip a generous amount of syrup on Jinyoung’s dick. Jinyoung’s pupils dilate as he watches Jaebeom slowly lean in and lick a stripe from base to tip, then swirl his tongue around the head. Repeating the process, Jaebeom continues to clean up every inch of syrup he sees, unwilling to allow a single drop go to waste. He’s waited a long time to play out this fantasy and wants to enjoy it to the fullest.

Thinking back to how Jinyoung teased him, Jaebeom decides to have a little more fun and grabs the bottle of lube, warming some up on his fingers. He then pulls Jinyoung forward until his ass rests on the edge of the couch and pushes two fingers into Jinyoung while simultaneously taking the majority of Jinyoung’s cock into his mouth. Letting out a strangled cry, Jinyoung doesn’t know which way he wants to move. Does he push back to fuck himself deeper on Jaebeom’s fingers or thrust forward into the heat of Jaebeom’s mouth? Unable to reach an answer, Jinyoung settles for fisting his hand in Jaebeom’s hair and rides out the dual sensations.

Jaebeom groans at the sting of his hair being pulled, sending vibrations down Jinyoung’s dick. He slides his mouth down further, until Jinyoung nudges the back of his throat. Remembering just how long Jinyoung made him wait, he quickly adds a second, then a third finger, eager to finally get his fill. Jinyoung whimpers in appreciation and Jaebeom can sense Jinyoung’s previous restraint leaving him.

As Jaebeom is about to add yet another finger to fully stretch him, Jinyoung squirms in his lap and whines in impatience, “Hyung, no I’m ready already. Please, I just need a little more.” Seeing the uncertainty remaining in Jaebeom’s expression, Jinyoung changes tactics and grabs Jaebeom’s neck to whisper in his ear, “Don’t you want to give it to me? I made you wait _so long_ before.” Jaebeom swallows and clenches his jaw, and Jinyoung knows he’s got him.

Jaebeom grabs him by the thighs and stands up, lifting Jinyoung with him in the process. Walking around the couch, he traps Jinyoung between his body and the wall, and aligns himself. For all of his jabs at Jaebeom’s increasing age, Jinyoung feels a familiar high run through him as Jaebeom so casually carries him. Jinyoung wraps both legs around Jaebeom’s waist, holding himself up as Jaebeom’s cock presses into him and loudly mewls with the pleasure of slowly being filled. Involuntarily, he digs his fingernails into Jaebeom’s back. Not minding the brief flash of pain, Jaebeom mouths at the milky skin of Jinyoung’s neck and decorates him with a pattern of dark marks for everyone to see.

“God, Jaebeom,” Jinyoung moans. “I can’t wait any longer. Don’t be so gentle and fuck me like you mean it.”

Still frustrated from the way Jinyoung tormented him earlier, and filled with the desire to teach his minx of a husband a lesson, Jaebeom snaps his hips forward, burying himself deep. Encouraged by Jinyoung’s cry of pleasure, Jaebeom doesn’t give him any time to adjust, instead fucking him with all his pent-up energy.

Feeling the pressure build and approach its breaking point, Jinyoung is at Jaebeom’s mercy as he hits his prostate with every thrust. “I’m almost there, don’t stop,” Jinyoung orders. Tempo increasing and growing more irregular, Jaebeom chases his own release, and finally allows himself to let go as he feels Jinyoung spill over his chest and abdomen.

Both panting and covered in sweat, the two try to regain their breath. Readjusting his hold on Jinyoung, Jaebeom nuzzles Jinyoung’s neck, pressing soft kisses over his earlier marks and suggests, “How about I carry you to the shower and we can clean all of this off?”

Nodding wearily in response, Jinyoung replies, “That sounds perfect. I feel sticky and disgusting all over. Note to self: syrup can be sexy in the moment, but the aftermath leaves things to be desired.”

Jaebeom chuckles at how indignant his husband sounds and whispers, “Yeah, my teenage self didn’t think about the logistics. But even still, today surpassed how great I always thought it would be. So thank you, Youngie for humoring me. Love you.”

Jinyoung chuckles as he gently wipes some of the remaining syrup off Jaebeom’s chin. “I love you too,” he responds, eyes crinkling as a smile works its way across his equally sticky face.

 

\-------

 

_What actually happened in Room 305_

 

Bambam drags his feet along the hallway and stops at the door of his apartment. Sighing as he rummages through his backpack to find his keys, he finally manages to grasp the bulky metal keychain after feeling its familiar, cold sting. While he fumbles with the lock, the bundle of clinking accessories slips through Bambam’s fingers to land on the ground. With a drawn out exhale, he pinches the bridge of his nose and murmurs, “Perfect, pretty much represents what a god awful day today was.”

Crouching down, Bambam swipes at the keys and uses the door’s handle to pull himself back into a standing position. Just wanting to be able to faceplant on the couch and scream into their strategically placed throw pillows, Bambam shoves the key into the lock and shoves the door open. “I’m home,” he tiredly calls out to an empty living room.

With yells that are too in sync to be unintentional, Yugyeom and Youngjae spring up from behind the couch and aim their respective marshmallow shooters. Before Bambam can even raise a finger in defence, two marshmallows fly and find their marks against his eyebrow and closed mouth.

“Hey, that was the perfect set up for a marshmallow three pointer!” Youngjae lightly whined. “Yug you saw that right? I vote that we pretend that Bambam caught that one.”

Laughing, Yugyeom nods in agreement. “Yeah, we can let that one slide this time. But you saw that eyebrow shot right? That’s a one pointer if I know one. Man, just a couple centimeters down would’ve been five points. Those eye shots are deadly but the payoff makes them so worth it.”

Bambam, still standing frozen in the doorway of their apartment, rubs his eyebrow and tiredly asks, “Should we be concerned that we give points for shooting things at each other’s faces?”

Youngjae pumps his fist in the air and runs to update their point tallies hanging on the fridge. “Eh, we’ve been doing this for months. If something bad were to happen, it would have already happened!” But as he notices that their friend lacked his usual excitement and competitiveness, Youngjae stops in the middle of his victory dance and softly asks, “Anyways, what’s up Bambam? How was your day?”

Yugyeom walks over and slips Bambam’s backpack off his shoulder. As he moves to place it in their bedroom, he adds over his shoulder, “Yeah, you look kind of worn out? Something up?”

Shedding his jacket and letting it fall onto the floor, Bambam staggers over to the couch and topples onto it. “I had the worst day. A pop quiz in my first class and then on the way to the library, some jock spit on my shoe.” He lifts his foot to demonstrate its exact positioning and proceeds to kick it in the air for several moments. “How hard is it for those douchebags to not pollute our innocent world with their biohazard-level nastiness! They should be charged for littering, _no_ , they should learn how to swallow.”

Yugyeom walks back into the living room and manages to hear Bambam’s rant in its entirety. Snorting at the last statement, “Bam, those guys have spitting on sidewalks ingrained in their DNA or something. It’s kind of a lost cause to try and make them stop, but anyways, back to what happened today.” He sits on Bambam’s left side and tucks his head into the crook of his neck. With a light pat on Bambam’s leg, Yugyeom coaxes him to continue, “Did the guy at least apologize?”

“Uh, yeah but it doesn’t count. I said, ‘Excuse me, I think you just spit on my shoe.’ and the guy just looked at my contaminated Saint Laurent croc-embossed leather boot and said, ‘Ahh, sorry bro, my B.’ Bro! Me?”

Bending down to pick up Bambam’s discarded jacket from their walkway, Youngjae shakes it out and hangs it carefully in the closet. He makes his way to the couch and dodges the flailing arms that are the visible representations of Bambam’s overflowing exasperation. Youngjae settles his head into Bambam’s lap and hums in acknowledgement, “Not cool. You of all people, would not be a bro.”

“That’s exactly my point. The nerve to call _me_ , bro. Please. He was no bro of mine, that’s for sure,” Bambam adds with a growing pout. “From that whole literal mess of a situation, I went to my last class of the day and my professor for costume design…” Bambam’s voice begins to lose its air of annoyance and shifts to one of hurt. “She said my recent sketch was uninspired and that she was expecting more from me.” Bambam picks at a loose thread on his jeans, “Today, was just a really awful day,” he finally adds with a faint sniffle after a few moments of paused silence.

Both Yugyeom and Youngjae wince in sympathy and share a look. So with Yugyeom’s eyes urging him to say something, Youngjae clears his throat and begins, “I’m sorry your day was so awful Bam. It seems like not much can be done about the pop quiz and dudebro, but what about your assignment?”

Sighing wearily, “Yeah, I’m planning on going to her office hours tomorrow and asking if I can resubmit something. So, that’s something at least,” Bambam responds.

Yugyeom shifts and repositions Bambam’s arm in order to nestle closer into Bambam’s side. “That sounds like a great idea Bam! But first, can the two of us do anything right now to make you forget about today and just relax?” Peeking up at Bambam’s face, which seems to have calmed somewhat after unloading to his friends, Yugyeom suggests, “What about a movie night? I saw that they added Black Panther to Netflix. I was planning on surprising you with it this weekend, but hey, now seems like a great time too!”

“Oh and beforehand, we can make dinner together. Great food, great movie, and great roommate-friendship-bonding time!” Youngjae adds with a beaming smile from Bambam’s lap. “I can pick up groceries on my way back from work. I finish up with giving singing lessons around 6 tonight and the music shop is right next to the supermarket.” Sitting up and turning to face his friends, Youngjae taps his chin, “What are we feeling tonight? Burgers? Omurice? Pasta?”

Bambam’s gaze is locked on his lap and a small smile grows on his lips. “I think I would really like that and pasta sounds good to me. What about you two?”

Sensing that their efforts in raising Bambam’s spirits are working, Yugyeom and Youngjae eagerly nod their heads in affirmation. “Yeah that sounds great Bam.” Thinking of another idea, Yugyeom excitedly suggests, “Ah, in the meantime, we could eat dessert first! I think we have a couple tubs of ice cream left and we still haven’t tried that magic shell chocolate stuff.”

Eyes brightening even more, Bambam looks up to meet Yugyeom’s wide smile. “Is that the thing that’s liquid when its warm and then instantly turns into a hard chocolate shell when you dip ice cream in it?”

“Yeah that’s the one! So, are you up for it?”

“Hell yeah I am! Chocolate, ice cream, and my two best friends. What more could I want?” Bambam answers while beaming.

Youngjae chuckles and lightly ruffles Bambam’s hair. “Uh Bam, I think I have to miss out on the ice cream this time. I need to head to the shop soon since the owner asked me pick up an extra lesson today. But count me in next time.”

“Yeah, of course Youngjae. I guess Gyeom and I will find a way to survive with just the two of us until you get back.” Bambam replies as he pokes Yugyeom’s cheek with every other word.

Giggling, Yugyeom halfheartedly swats at the offending finger and jokingly whines, “Noooo Youngjae, please don’t leave me here with this.”

Bambam widens his eyes in mock offence but the three can’t keep their laughter in for long. Sighing again, but in contentment instead of the previous weariness, Bambam settles back into the couch and shyly states, “Um. Thanks guys. You two are the best and I uh, really appreciate it.”

With a soft smile that quickly turns into a devious grin, Youngjae glances at Yugyeom who is still gazing at Bambam fondly, and teases, “Aww, our little Bambam is so sensitive! I have 10 minutes before I have to head to work so that’s enough time for a cuddle attack!”

Yugyeom, on board with this train of thought and laughing with glee, untangles himself from Bambam’s side, flops back onto him as deadweight, and proceeds to squeeze with all his strength. Youngjae wraps his arms around Bambam from the other side and between the gangly arms of his friends, Bambam can only let out a series of wheezing laughs.

\-------

Rifling through the cabinets, Bambam finally finds the bottle of chocolate that is toppled over on the back of the shelf. “Hey Gyeom, the directions for the magic chocolate stuff say we have to keep it warm for it to work. Could you fill a bowl with hot water and then we can let it chill in there for a bit?” Bambam calls from the kitchen.

Yugyeom, who was gathering various supplies from the freezer and fridge, answers in affirmation. “Yeah, give me a sec. It looks like we have whipped cream, chocolate syrup, cherries, and a few cartons of vanilla ice cream. Ice cream party is a go.” Humming a little song under his breath, Yugyeom can already anticipate the sugar rush as he gathers the ingredients and dumps them onto the counter. “So, where do you want to do this? On the couch, our room, or,” he adds with a mischievous grin, “Youngjae’s room?”

Bambam’s eyes crinkle into a smile and he playfully scolds, “Ayyy you’re a bad influence, no way. Let’s go to our room and we can snuggle in the blankets while we drown ourselves in ice cream. Oh my god, we’re basically living our preteen slumber party dreams.” He turns to face Yugyeom, mouth forming an excited ‘O’ and meets an awestruck expression that perfectly mirrors his own.

“Preteen us would be screaming if they could see us now.”

“I know right, this moment alone makes college worth it. Shout out to our parents for supporting our educational dreams and our ice cream paradise,” Bambam dreamily states before getting back to business. “Alright, give me ten minutes to clear off the bed so we have enough room for the food and can spread out too. Gyeom, make sure to pop that magic chocolate bad boy into the water and oh, maybe put the ice cream and stuff back in the freezer. ” He adds while heading to their room to begin cleaning.

“Yep, the chocolate has been soaking for a bit already,” Yugyeom says as he moves to toss the various ingredients back into their respective homes. Humming the same little tune as before, he wipes down the counter as he waits for Bambam to finish up. He thinks fondly about Bambam seeming to be back to his usual excitable and slightly over the top self. Bambam is his best friend and Yugyeom knows that if he and Youngjae weren’t able to lift his mood earlier, they wouldn’t have stopped trying until they were successful. The three of them were a trio and had known each other since elementary school. Good days or bad ones, they were each others’ support systems. Yugyeom continues to reminisce for several more moments while mindlessly wiping the counter.

Remembering the chocolate warming in the bowl, Yugyeom dips one finger into the water and notices it is no longer warm enough. He quickly pours out the old and adds fresh hot water in order to keep the chocolate ready to use. _Haha, Bambam would have killed me if the magic chocolate was solid again_ , Yugyeom thinks to himself with a chuckle. _He would have started waving his arms around while yelling something like ‘Gyeom, you had one job! How could you do this to us?’ and his face would get all scrunched up too. Man, he is so_ cute _sometimes._ This thought makes Yugyeom freeze and suddenly draws him out from his musings. “I just called my best friend cute and I meant it. Wait, that’s fine right? I think Youngjae is cute too. Like sunshine and rainbows everytime he smiles! My best friends are _both_ cute. Yeah, yeah this is fine,” he assures himself under his breath and decides to bury and move on from this train of thought altogether.

Eyes catching the microwave clock, Yugyeom sees that about 30 minutes have passed since Bambam left, so he yells down the hallway. “Bam, it’s been half an hour! Can we just start already, I feel like we’ve been waiting for forever!”

Bambam strolls out and retorts, “Hey, it’s not my fault. I think we ate chips and spaghetti or _something_ in bed last week because there were so many crumbs and random stains. Jeez, how have we been sleeping in that without noticing?” Bambam nudges Yugyeom’s hip with his own to move him from blocking the freezer door and grabs the ice cream. He checks Yugyeom again to get the toppings in the fridge. Turning to face Yugyeom as he walks to their room with the precarious pile in his arms, Bambam teases, “C’mon you whiny baby. Let’s make past us jealous and have the best ice cream slumber party ever.”

With a whoop, Yugyeom takes half of the ingredients from Bambam’s arms and they both make their way into their room. He places the whipped cream and still soaking magic chocolate onto their desk and throws the rest of his haul onto the freshly made bed.

Bambam spreads his arms wide and falls backward onto the mattress. “Ah, this is going to be sooo good,” he says in an excited whisper. He rolls around a few times and grabs the corner of a blanket to bundle himself securely. With only a face and a pair of socked feet slightly visible, a voice from the pile of blankets pipes, “Hop in here Gyeom!”

Yugyeom laughs and jumps onto the bed, bouncing lightly a few times, and feels his stomach grumble. Pointing at the magic chocolate still soaking in the water, Yugyeom asks, “Can you take it out yet?”

“I like to keep it warm but it’s been in there for like half an hour right?”

Remembering just how long it took for Bambam to clear their mess of a room, Yugyeom replies, “Yep, it’s been all warm and cozy for long enough.”

Making a hum of acknowledgement, Bambam agrees, “You’re right, let’s get the real fun started. I’ll get the ice cream so don’t move!” Sliding off the bed, blanket and all, Bambam hops over to their desk, grabs the necessary ingredients, and flops back on.

“Thank god Bam. I’ve been looking forward to this for hours.” Yugyeom groans. He opens a tub of ice cream and realizes that something is missing.“Ah shoot. Did we remember to get spoons?”

“Damn. Oh wait, when I was cleaning, I found a couple spoons and threw them in the drawer. They’re probably fine right?” Bambam suggests while digging through the candy wrappers and loose papers filling their desk. Letting out a sound of victory, he brandishes two metal spoons in his fist and hands them over to Yugyeom.

The two inspect them closer; little bits of dust and patches of what looks like dried tomato sauce are stuck onto its surface. Yugyeom uses a fingernail to scrape some of it off and wipes them a few times with the edge of his shirt for good measure. Looking from the spoons to each other, they both contemplate for a few seconds, shrug in sync, and say, “Eh, looks good enough to me!”

Yugyeom hands a spoon to Bambam who dishes out several scoops of ice cream into two bowls. Bambam tosses the magic chocolate to Yugyeom and says, “Hurry and put it in! Your impatience is contagious or something because I can’t wait to taste it.” Vibrating in place from pure excitement, Bambam holds his bowl of ice cream firmly as Yugyeom pours a heaping amount of chocolate on top.

Watching the previously liquid chocolate form an instant hard chocolate coat onto the ice cream, Yugyeom exclaims, “Woah, it gets hard so fast,” with a considerable amount of awe.

“Yeah, I mean I knew this would happen but it’s awesome that it works so well!” Bambam marvels. He taps the chocolate shell a few times with his spoon and beams. Putting down his bowl and picking up the other, he nudges Yugyeom with it and motions for him to pour another serving of chocolate.

“This is awesome,” Yugyeom whispers as they watch the magic happen once more. “Hey, you know what would make things even better? Chocolate syrup! You want it all over right?” With Bambam nodding his head vigorously and replying, “Yeah lay it on me,” Yugyeom takes that enthusiasm as a request for enough syrup to drown in. He squeezes the bottle forcefully for a few seconds but is suddenly reminded of the videos he saw online of professional chefs making brilliant designs and turning their food into art. So taking the bottle, he begins to make swirls and random patterns, not noticing that a good portion of the chocolate stickiness is not making it into the bowl.

Bambam watches as the bowl of ice cream fills with syrup and pokes Yugyeom to get the bottle. “Hey it’s my turn. I’ll do yours ok?” Holding the bottle upside down with his right hand, he squeezes and chortles, “Salt bae. No, syrup bae am I right?” Yugyeom giggles in response and at first, the two don’t notice the syrup dripping down his forearm and all over Yugyeom’s as well. Registering the sensation of something moving down his arm, Bambam finally sees the chocolate lining their arms and covering the bed. “Oh my god Gyeom...the syrup is getting everywhere. It’s a lot messier than I thought it would be.”

“We’re doing this in bed. How did you think this would be clean?” Yugyeom retorts even though he made a healthy portion of the mess as well.

“That doesn’t matter! It’s all over the place, so what do we do?” Bambam hurriedly asks. He tries to wipe at the chocolate that landed on the bed, but only manages to smear it deeper into the fabric. “Oh shoot, it’s on your arm too.”

Yugyeom shrugs and is largely untroubled. “Don’t worry, I got it,” he assures him before using his tongue to clean the length of his arm. Seeing no more patches of the splotched chocolate, he looks up with a grin and points at Bambam’s remaining mess.

“Yeah, we should just lick it up! Also, your tongue is pretty talented, you should make this into a job.” Bambam teases. But before he can turn back to dealing with his own mess of chocolate syrup, he notices Yugyeom’s new version of lipstick and snorts quietly. “You have chocolate all over your face Gyeom. It’s a good look on you,” he adds with a wink.

Bambam’s comment reminds Yugyeom of certain thoughts he had beforehand and he looks down at his lap with a soft blush. Spotting one last patch of chocolate at the edge of his elbow, he laughs nervously to distract himself from his thoughts and more importantly, from Bambam noticing his pink cheeks. “Haha, calm down Bambam. Oh oops, I think I missed a spot.” Still trying the method that worked so well before, Yugyeom strains to reach that pesky splotch to no avail.

Bambam watches him struggle for a few moments, laughing the entire time, but after a few more moments, decides to help. He catches Yugyeom’s elbow in one hand and with a quick dart of his tongue, removes the last bit of chocolate plaguing his friend. “Got it,” Bambam chirps with a smile. Wiping his mouth, he looks at the stained bed sheet and decides that it’s a lost cause altogether and that they will deal with it later. He grabs the bottle of syrup that started this whole mess and shakes it. “Oh man, I think we used all the chocolate syrup,” he starts with a pout. But hearing no response from his best friend, Bambam looks up in confusion.

With cheeks visibly flaming and eyes opened wide, Yugyeom stares blankly into the air. Blinking rapidly as if his brain was working on overdrive, Yugyeom continues to zone out.

Furrowing his brows, Bambam pokes Yugyeom twice in the side and whispers, “Hey Gyeom? Is something up?”

Yugyeom shakes his head to clear the internal panic that had him frozen. He clears his throat several times and stutters, “O-oh yeah o-of course! Sorry, you know how I love choco shakes so I got too excited. But don’t worry, I brought the whipped cream too.” He springs off the bed to grab the next topping and while facing the wall, puts the cold canister against his cheek. “I know you love whipped cream, so this is for you Bam,” Yugyeom states as smoothly and normally as possible.

Seemingly distracted from his previous inquiry, Bambam crows, “Man, you always know just what I need!” Making grabby hands at the can of whipped cream, Bambam pops the cap off and completely douses his bowl.

Yugyeom slowly sits back onto the bed and stuffs his mouth with ice cream. Swallowing hard, he replies, “Ahh don’t be so sappy.”

Eyes gleaming with mirth, Bambam gushes, “You think that was sappy? Yugyeom, I am sticky all over because you are even sweeter than all the ice cream and syrup.” He takes a large scoop from his bowl and groans in delight. “This is amazing.”

Still devouring his ice cream as if food had the power to ward off his thoughts, Yugyeom gets caught on his last bite, “Bam, don’t say stuff like that! My mouth was full and I almost choked!”

“Haha ok, I’ll stop now. But I was serious before. I feel sticky all over.”

Lightly punching Bambam in the arm in acknowledgement, Yugyeom lies down on the bed and can feel ice cream and syrup on his skin and hair. Rolling onto his side, he can see the stains spread throughout the sheets and adds, “Yeah, we definitely stained the sheets this time. Do you think all this will come out?”

Shrugging his shoulders since he is definitely not the laundry master of the apartment, Bambam replies, “Huh, well let’s put them in the washer after we shower. Plus, we should clean up before Youngjae gets back from work. I don’t want to explain to him how this happened.”

Yugyeom rolls off the bed and nudges for Bambam to do the same. “You’re right. This was a lot of fun, but I am so exhausted.” He begins to strip the sheets from the mattress and checks to see if any stains bled through. Sighing in relief that their mattress still looks relatively decent, he balls up the crumpled fabric and walks out of their room.

Bambam gathers the various dishes, empty containers, and uneaten food to toss them back into the kitchen. Strolling into the bathroom where they keep their laundry basket, Yugyeom tosses the sheets in and gingerly pinches the edge of his chocolate covered shirt. “Want to wash our clothes too? Might as well right?”

“Yeah that sounds like a good idea to me. You can shower first and then I’ll go after you’re done.” Yugyeom replies.

“Thanks Gyeom!” Bambam says with a smile. “As my way of thanking you, here’s an exclusive, front row seat to the gun show.” Ripping off his shirt and slamming it into the empty bin, Bambam begins to exaggeratedly flex, arms and face shaking from the effort.

Cackling, Yugyeom shoves Bambam away by the face and leaves the bathroom. “Hurry up and shower Bam. Youngjae should be home in about half an hour.”

“Yeah and once he comes home, I bet he would enjoy the gun show more than a certain someone else did!”

Yugyeom lets out a particularly loud squawk to let Bambam know what he thought of that comment and hears some muted grumbling and eventually, the sound of the shower turning on. He leans on the counter, afraid of staining any other furniture with his dirty clothes, and shakes his head. No one is quite like Bambam, he realizes. _Bambam’s lively, fun, too nice, and the biggest annoyance when he wants to be. He’s the person that understands me best and someone who I always want around. So what if I thought he was cute. That doesn’t change the fact that we’re best friends and always will be_ , Yugyeom thinks to himself and nods with conviction. Feeling as though his previous panic has settled, Yugyeom continues to wait for Bambam to finish his shower. So to the sound of faint off-key singing and colorful rapping from down the hall, Yugyeom bops his head along and feels his chest warm in contentment.

\-------

Fresh from the shower and working together to put the back-up sheet onto their bed, Yugyeom and Bambam discuss the next hot topic on their agenda.

“How dare you say that surprised Pikachu is a better quality meme than ‘they did surgery on a grape!’” Bambam squawks.

“Bam! Surprised Pikachu is iconic. It basically can make endless memes. Surgery on a grape is cool yeah, but can it really do much more than that?” Yugyeom retorts with his arms crossed.

“Ok fine, what about the Moth Lamp meme? That one’s wild.”

“Bam. You’re deathly afraid of bugs. Are you serious right now?” Yugyeom exclaims. “Do we need to get a reminder of last week’s spider incident?”

Visibly shuddering, Bambam laments, “God, that moth is disgusting. Can you imagine it flying at yo-” before being interrupted by a low moan from the apartment over.

_Fuck, Jinyoung! It feels so good. I need more, please._

_No please, more. Give me another._

Eyes screwing up in disgust, Bambam grabs a violently blushing Yugyeom and drags him into the living room. “Oh my god. Are they…” Yugyeom weakly asks as he stumbles after the rapidly escaping Bambam.

Tutting their _irresponsible_ hyungs next door, Bambam shrieks, “EEEWWW! Why do they always have to do this?” and with a considerable amount of snark, scoffs, “Don’t they know the walls are paper thin?”

 

\-------

 

_The next day_

 

Sitting at his soundboard and lightly bobbing along to the beat of an upcoming track, Jaebeom sees the blinking red light of one of the interns paging him. He hits pause, hangs his headphones on the back of his neck, and hits ‘accept’ on the intercom. “Yeah, what’s up Hyunjin?”

The nervous and slightly grainy voice of his latest intern flows out. “Hello Mr. Im. There’s a guest that’s here to see you and um… quote, ‘pick up his grumpy husband.’”

 _Ah, should have known it was Jinyoung. Hyunjin has some sort of hero worship going on for him and becomes even more nervous than usual whenever he stops by_ , Jaebeom laughs to himself. “Alright let me wrap this up and I’ll be down in 5 minutes.” He begins to make some finishing touches and saves his progress to pick back up tomorrow. Gathering his jacket and bag from the back of the chair, he gives one last look to his studio as he locks up. Strolling down to where Jinyoung is waiting for him, Jaebeom can see that he caught them mid-conversation.

“Ah Hyunjin, I didn’t know you were interested in adding a minor in Korean literature! Maybe I could treat you to lunch and we can discuss some of your favorite works sometime,” Jinyoung offers with eye crinkles out in full force.

Jaebeom chuckles internally. There is nothing quite like Jinyoung when he meets a young mind that could be convinced to fully appreciate the beauty of classic Korean literature. So Jaebeom can only watch as his already dazzled intern looks at Jinyoung with nothing but pure adoration in his eyes.

Stumbling from the excitement, Hyunjin exclaims, “Yes, Mr. Park Jinyoung, th-”

“Call me hyung, Hyunjin.”

Whispering _oh my god_ under his breath, Hyunjin cannot seem to believe how his day is panning out. But within a few seconds, he clears his throat to gather himself and continues his previous thought, “Yes, uh, Jinyoung hyung. That would be amazing! Would you be free next week?”

“Of course Hyunjin, anything for a great dongsaeng and literature appreciation.” With another smile, Jinyoung takes one of Hyunjin’s limply dangling hands and gives it a quick squeeze. “I’m so happy that we got to chat today and I’ll ask Jaebeom to pass my number to you so we can schedule something.”

As Jinyoung moves to let his hand go, Hyunjin readjusts the grip and shakes his hand a few times with fervor. “Thank you so much Jinyoung hyung. I can’t wait.”

With a laugh, Jinyoung shakes his hand a few more times for good measure and pats his shoulder. “I appreciate your enthusiasm Hyunjin. I hope you bring the same passion to our discussion next week.”

Jaebeom, feeling as though his intern will pass out any moment if Jinyoung remains in his presence for much longer, moves to tug Jinyoung away. “Hey Nyoung. Thanks for picking me up from work today.” He turns to face Hyunjin, who is staring at his empty hand in awe, and states, “Alright, take it easy Hyunjin. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?”

Hyunjin nods and salutes, “Of course Mr. Im. Have a good night!” and shyly addresses Jinyoung, “I hope you have a good night too hyung.”

“You too Hyunjin.” Cheeks dimpling, Jinyoung laughs and waves as he and Jaebeom walk away.

When the two get down the block, Jaebeom looks out of the corner of his eye at Jinyoung, who is walking and talking about the latest gossip at the college as if nothing was amiss. Not able to hold back his thoughts any longer, Jaebeom blurts, “Are we not going to address what just happened?”

Jinyoung, stride steady but tilting his head to the side in confusion, replies, “What are you talking about hyung?”

“Hyunjin. Who else?”

“Ah, right! Jaebeom, I can’t believe you didn’t mention that your intern is interested in Korean literature. You know how much I look forward to meeting potential new students,” Jinyoung retorts. “Shame on you,” he adds while wagging his finger.

Jaebeom shakes his head in disbelief. “No, I was not talking about that Jinyoung. Did you not notice him falling all over himself in front of you?”

Looking even more confused than before, but responding easily, Jinyoung replies, “Hmm? A lot of my students act that way. It’s just nerves from meeting professors, that’s all.”

Deadpan expression and voice dripping in incredulity, Jaebeom asks, “So you’re telling me that you have countless students fawning over you and,” Jaebeom uses both hands to gesture to Jinyoung from top to bottom, “ _all of this_ and you have thought for _years_ that all professors have had to deal with this?”

Jinyoung pulls his bottom lip into his mouth and gnaws on it slightly. “Um, yes.”

Covering his face in disbelief, Jaebeom groans, “So you’ve had college kids thirsting over you for ages and you’re only just finding out. Jesus.”

“Well, when I first joined the faculty, I asked Namjoon about it and he said that he deals with the same thing in the math department. So I thought it was completely normal!” A heavily blushing Jinyoung exclaims as he tries to salvage his pride.

Jaebeom smiles since he rarely witnesses the usually impervious Jinyoung caught in this kind of embarrassment. He wraps one arm around Jinyoung’s waist and teasingly adds, “Hey, don’t be upset. It’s cute how you’re this innocent.”

Saying nothing in response, Jinyoung blushes even deeper, slips from Jaebeom’s hold, and hurries away from his giggling husband. Dodging the other pedestrians on the street, Jinyoung continues to speed walk and from behind, can hear Jaebeom shout, “Slow down Professor Park! I have a question about the impact of Confucian principles on free-thinking authors during the fourteenth century!”

Jinyoung hides his face using the collar of his coat and flaps his hand behind him as if to shoo off his still cackling shadow. Thankfully for him, he sees the entrance of their apartment building and finally lets Jaebeom catch up to him.

Eyes still shining with visible mirth, Jaebeom swings his arm around Jinyoung and kisses his shoulder. He raises one brow and smirks, “Dr. Park, I’m so glad I managed to catch you. Would I be able to come to your office hours sometime? I really want to understand the subject material and would do _anything_ for a good grade.”

Jinyoung rolls his eyes up to the ceiling and begins, “Jaebeom, don’t turn my pure love for literature and prose into another one of your kinky games.”

Unfortunately for everyone involved, right at that moment, Yugyeom and Bambam arrive from the mailroom and stop in front of the elevators, catching the tail end of Jinyoung’s statement.

Forehead wrinkling in disgust, Bambam jabs the button to call the elevator. “Oh look who it is Gyeom. Our wonderful hyungs from next door. Seems like you two are still playing your little _games_ and even in public this time!” he adds with a huff and dismissive gaze as he picks imaginary lint off the sleeve of his jacket.

With twin looks of judgement and disgust, Jaebeom and Jinyoung look from Bambam’s haughty expression to Yugyeom’s flustered blushing.

The elevator dings and the doors open for the four to walk inside. This time, it is Jinyoung who jabs the button for their floor. “Just what does that mean Bambam?” he asks with both eyebrows raised and arms crossed.

“Well, based on what you two were up to last night, you should be ashamed.” Bambam taps his foot as if he were scolding two insolent children. “The walls are so thin. You should think about your neighbors the next time you two do something gross.”

Mouth popping open in rage, Jinyoung was just about to snap, but something catches his attention. He sees a slightly wild look flash in Jaebeom’s eyes and a vein making an appearance at his temple.

With hands raised and palms slightly curled as if ready to throttle his next unsuspecting victim, Jaebeom gasps, “ _You’re_ telling _us_ that the walls are thin?” Right before he’s about to take one step forward, Jinyoung stops him with a firm grip on his arm.

“Ah well, would you look at the time. We got to our floor and I very much appreciate seeing my husband here without having to make conjugal visits, so we’re going to go now,” Jinyoung hurriedly declares as he drags Jaebeom down the hall, unlocks their door, and pushes him inside.

Yugyeom, who had been standing frozen from discomfort and sheer panic in the face of confrontation, asks feebly, “Do you think they’ll keep it down from now on?”

“They better or we’ll sic Youngjae on them!”

“Uh, why Youngjae?”

Shuddering slightly, Bambam replies, “Have you _seen_ the size of Jaebeom hyung’s arms? He’d break me like a twig. Plus, I know not to go against his angry jaw.” Bambam pops out his jaw and opens the door to their apartment. “There’s no way Jaebeom hyung would hurt Youngjae, so he’s the perfect weapon!”

“Bam...you’re a genius.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment with your thoughts and see you next time (hopefully will be soon!).


	4. Jump On It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugbam spice up Markson’s sex life and trend on social media.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Thankfully, there wasn’t quite as long of a wait as last time and we are happy to say that we have (mostly) graduated from college. Whooo! :)
> 
> Anyways, in celebration for GOT7’s comeback tomorrow, here is the new chapter! We listened to [the teaser](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QMdiupVNHE/) of Eclipse and [the album teaser](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1lFnL_NPTo/) and hope you did too! Personally, we are most excited about 1° and Time Out but the whole thing sounds amazing and we cannot wait for the whole album to drop! A slightly funny side note, we noticed that we coincidentally post chapters whenever GOT7 has a comeback. Hopefully, since we will have much more time without school getting in the way, we will break this pattern and update sooner. :P
> 
> Some notes for this chapter: We linked a video at a specific time for the image we imagined, but realistically, that whole video captures the vibe so enjoy it if you haven’t seen it before (it’s great)! Also, there are some social media components in this chapter so here are the handles that will be used:
> 
>   * Bambam: bam_it.s_bam
>   * Park Jimin (JYP solo artist): letJiminsing
>   * Jungkook (BTS): jkookie97
>   * Bang Chan (Stray Kids): Chan_is_Banging
>   * Lisa (Black Pink): Lisainpink
>   * Jaehyun (NCT): Jaehoney
> 

> 
> So without further ado, here is the chapter and hope you have as much fun reading it as we had writing it.

“Hyung, cover, cover!!” Jackson yells as he rushes forward from their hiding spot behind a huge oil barrel. Mark keeps his gun at the ready and watches as Jackson perfectly executes a roll and smiles to himself at the leaves that managed to get stuck to Jackson’s red jersey. Seeing a bush on their left rustle from some suspicious movement, Mark fires a warning shot, protecting his boyfriend who continues to slide into a better tactical position, and then hurries to join him. Both focused on the enemy before them and having victory on their minds, Jackson and Mark plan in hushed whispers to split up and surround the members of the blue team from both sides. Mark goes from the left and Jackson swings around to cover the right. Seeing a flash of a blue vest from the corner of his eye, Mark quickly swivels to take aim. However, this shift in focus to the man in the front of him dominates his attention and makes him lose track of the other threats at large.

“Ow, ow!” Mark yelps as a shot rings out and he feels a sharp pain in his upper leg.

Frantic, Jackson pops up from his hiding place and yells out, “Mark, are you okay?”

Taking advantage of his worried opponent who is no longer devoted to his covert mission, another figure in blue quickly aims and shoots Jackson right in the chest. Head whipping around in the direction of the shot and seeing the face of his enemy, Jackson roars, “Aaaahh, ERIC! I hate you! How could you shoot my Markiepooh and then ME when I was just being a good boyfriend? You’re such a cheater!”

Laughing, Eric just points at Jackson and sticks his tongue out. “Give it up, Jackson. I didn’t cheat, I’m just better at paintball than you.” From the other side of the field, Amber emerges and joins Eric in his teasing. “Yeah, Jackson. Just admit you’re jealous Eric nailed your boyfriend. We know that’s what you’re really upset about.”

Jackson just stands with his mouth open and looks at both of them, incredulous at their betrayal, as they give each other high fives for their win and ability to silence Jackson. With a huff, he makes his way over to his boyfriend, who instead of writhing in agony, is giggling along with the enemy at Jackson’s pain.

However, with one look at Jackson’s pout, Mark stands up and pulls him into a hug, petting his hair and telling him how brave he was. “You were great out there, Jackson. You looked like my own knight in shining armor, rescuing me from the evil dragon. How about I give you a massage when we get home. You must be so sore from your valiant death,” Mark ends with teasing pout of his own.

Sufficiently soothed, Jackson perks up and turns back to their still laughing companions. “You guys may have won, but _I’m_ gonna score,” he gloats before sticking his tongue out childishly. With that, Jackson grabs Mark’s hand to interlock their fingers and as Mark says their goodbyes, Jackson can only think of his very own happy ending waiting for him back at their apartment.

 

\-------

 

Mark sits reclining in bed, propped up by a mound of pillows, making edits to a character sketch one of his team members sent him. They have a big presentation next week for the release of a highly anticipated expansion pack to one of last year’s best-selling games. Beside him, Jackson lays stretched out on his stomach, a pile of goo from his massage.

“Hey, babe. Are you almost done?” Jackson asks.

“Yeah, only a couple minutes more,” Mark promises.

Rolling onto his side and scooting closer, Jackson presses himself against Mark. “Good. Otherwise I’d have to make a visit to your office and file a complaint. Your teammate’s tardiness is affecting prime cuddle time.”

Mark lets out a little giggle at his boyfriend’s antics, and places the laptop on his nightstand. “I’ll finish this in the morning. After all, I can’t deprive my boyfriend,” Mark teases, to which Jackson automatically pulls Mark down and lays on top of him. Tangling their legs together and resting his head on Mark’s chest, Jackson settles in and Mark happily wraps his arms around him. As someone who is typically shy and awkward, yet craves dedicated attention from a partner, Mark has faced issues in previous relationships. However, he was lucky enough to find this amazing man who showers him with physical attention and helps bring him out of his shell, and Mark has no intentions of ever letting him go: both literally and metaphorically.

Suddenly, a shrill ringtone shatters his moment of reflection and cuts through the peaceful bubble enveloping the bedroom. Seeing that it isn’t his phone, Mark grabs the one beside his and hands it over to Jackson, who mumbles something about letting that person rot before answering the call.

“Ahhh, Jooheon! It’s you,” Jackson greets, tone instantly becoming less grumpy at being disturbed once he recognizes his friend’s voice. “Ya, I’m doing good…Nothing much is going on, just having a nice, quiet night in. How was your rap competition today?...You’re lucky you won. I could kill you for ditching paintball and letting Eric be your substitute…He almost sent Mark to the hospital!...Of course I’m not exaggerating!...Ok fine, not really...Ya, I’ll be at the gym this week. We can start our new training regimen…Hey, don’t forget to show me your trophy when you come in…See you in a couple days, bye!”

Jackson hangs up and makes a show of silencing his phone before tossing it aside. “So you’re going to be starting a new routine at the gym. What can I expect to see from that?” Mark asks with a flirtatious eyebrow raise.

As Jackson flexes his arms and starts to answer, they’re both stopped by the sound of a creaking mattress above them.

_Oh my god Gyeom, this feels great!_

_This is way better than our original plan of doing it on the couch!_

_Yeah, if your mom found out we were still messing around on the couch, I wouldn’t be able to look her in the eyes anymore._

Mark and Jackson look at each other with matching horrified expressions. “Please tell me they aren’t saying what I think they are,” Jackson pleads.

“I wish I could,” Mark laments. “Oh god. We sat on their couch last week when they invited us over for movie night. Is this why Youngjae was so insistent on sitting on the chair?”

Looking sick, Jackson chokes out, “I think I might gag. Please tell me we have bleach to wash our clothes.”

Shaking his head, Mark suggests, “We should probably just burn them. And anything they might have touched. Just to be safe.”

_Keep going, you’re almost there._

_I’m getting tired Bam. I’ve been at this for like ten minutes!_

_Yeah and you’re doing a great job._

_Do you maybe want to switch?_

_Hmm, it does look like you are the one having all the fun. Maybe I should get in on the action too!_

As his boyfriend makes more retching sounds, Mark can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation, even as he prays for their upstairs neighbors to stop.

_Huh? Wait Bam! I’m not ready yet!_

_Ahhhhh here I come Yugyeom!_

From above, there is the sound of bodies hitting the ground and a cracking sound. With wide eyes, Mark and Jackson look at each other, wondering just what the hell their neighbors could possibly be doing.

_Oh god, we broke the bed Gyeom!_

_Ow my leg._

_Wow, I never knew rope could burn like that._

_Yeah, this doesn’t even compare to last time. When you whipped me too hard._

_Haha yeah, sorry about that. I get kind of carried away when I role play._

“I don’t know, maybe they’re pretending to be cowboys and lassoing things or…or playing a nice and innocent game of jump rope! You know, age appropriate things that little munchkins like them should be doing.”

Not a fan of his desperate optimism, Mark responds to Jackson’s hope filled words with a deadpan look. “Are you a piece of pound cake Jacks? That was dense as fuck.”

Jackson, never one to miss an opportunity to outrageously flirt with his boyfriend, pipes back, “If I’m pound cake, then you’re the sugar that makes me so sweet.” He finishes the delivery with a blown kiss and cheesy wink.

Rolling his eyes toward the ceiling but not even attempting to hide his smile, Mark groans halfheartedly. “Yeah yeah, nice one Jackson,” he begins before being cut off by an excited squawk.

“Oh wait! I have another one.” Jackson exclaims and waits for Mark’s cue to continue. Seeing the tired yet indulgent wave from his boyfriend, Jackson croons, “You can call me pound cake because I’d let you pound me any day for dessert.”

“Oh lord, you should’ve stopped with the first one. And people say I have no jams,” Mark trails off.

Indignant, Jackson protests, “That was one perfect!”

“Hey, wait,” Mark interrupts. “It’s quiet, I think they stopped!”

With a hopeful pause, Jackson looks up and then jumps up in excitement when no other traumatizing sounds can be heard. “Thank you Jesus for saving me,” he nearly sobs. “I don’t understand how two such seemingly innocent kids can get so freaky.” Then as a new thought hits him, he turns to Mark and asks, “Why don’t we ever do things like that? You know, I could tie you up and-“

“Woah, woah, whoa. No, just no” Mark stops him before he can finish that sentence. “We have enough excitement already.”

Jackson puts on his best puppy eyes and begs, “Please, Mark? You’d look so good in a silk blindfold or maybe some handcuffs.”

Mark just stares his boyfriend down. “I don’t care how cute you’re trying to look right now, it’s a no.”

 

\-------

 

Several days later, Jackson is rummaging around the apartment looking for his boxing gloves when he gets a text from Mark. Apparently, his computer at work crashed and he lost all his work so he needs Jackson to send him his backup file from the laptop at home.

Opening Mark’s laptop, Jackson easily finds the document and sends it over, but with a slip of his finger, accidentally pulls up the minimized internet browser. About to just close the laptop and resume his own search, something grabs his full attention. On the screen, in fiery red letters, are the words _Thank you for your purchase!_ and the confirmation page for an order of fluffy handcuffs, leather restraints, a riding crop, and special candles. Stunned, he checks the expected delivery date and with a growing smirk, re-minimizes the window and clears his plans to bring Mark antiquing because next Wednesday, they were going to have some _real_ fun.

 

\-------

 

_What actually happened in Room 305_

 

Lounging on the couch with legs propped on the table and posture completely relaxed, Bambam scrolls aimlessly through his Instagram feed. He can hear Yugyeom wandering around in the kitchen searching for a post-lunch snack. Eventually, Yugyeom settles on a bowl of cereal and as he is pouring the milk into the bowl, Bambam calls to ask, “Hey Gyeom, toss me a bag of chips too please?”

Turning to put the box of cereal back into the cupboard, Yugyeom spots Bambam’s favorite brand of chips and grabs them. Only seeing the fluffy head of hair barely peeking out from the back of the couch, Yugyeom realizes that he would only nail Bambam in the back of the head if he threw the chips as asked. So he grabs his bowl with his other hand and walks over to couch to sit down. He hands over the chips, which earns him a crow of delight.

“Thanks Gyeom!” Bambam mumbles happily, mouth already stuffed with chips. He feels a buzz from his lap and sees a notification from Instagram that Jungkook just added something to his story. Nudging Yugyeom’s arm with the back of his hand, Bambam comments, “Hey, Jungkook posted something. Want to watch it with me?”

Yugyeom nods and continues to eat his cereal, but settles more comfortably on the couch. Bending his head and resting it on Bambam’s shoulder, the two watch the screen as Bambam opens the app. As they click on Jungkook’s icon, they immediately see the smiling face of Jimin.

The video pans out from her face and moves to Jungkook holding a neon green jump rope instead. Giving the camera a quick grin, Jungkook begins to jump. The Instagram story shows several cuts and time jumps in filming, with periodic updates on Jungkook’s progress and Jimin’s accompanying background commentary.

When he reaches 150, Jimin whoops and Jungkook’s bright laugh can be heard even as his face begins to show growing signs of exhaustion. The video jumps one more time and on the 178th jump, the rope gets caught on Jungkook’s foot. Breath huffling, Jungkook looks at the camera, grins, and topples to the ground for dramatic effect and Jimin’s delight.  

The story ends with Jimin and Jungkook sharing the screen. Hyping him up, Jimin cheers, “ _One hundred and seventy eight! That’s our golden maknae!_ ” to which Jungkook snorts and giggles. The words ‘Golden maknae’ are captioned on the screen and for the remaining few seconds of the video, Jimin can be heard chanting, “ _Golden maknae,_ ” as she zooms in and out on Jungkook’s smiling face.

Still munching on his cereal, Yugyeom laughs at the shenanigans his friends are up to. “178 is a lot! Kook did really good,” Yugyeom says as he turns to Bambam. To his surprise, Bambam’s reaction doesn’t seem to mirror his own.

Brows furrowed and mouth opened in insult, Bambam scoffs, “What does Jimin mean by ‘Golden _maknae_?’” Turning his phone off and tossing it to the side of the couch, Bambam continues, “You’re the maknae of our friend group. Jungkook’s birthday is in September and yours is on November 17th!” Bambam uses his fingers and counts out each month. “That’s a whole two extra months of you being a little baby!”

Yugyeom raises his eyebrow in surprise since out of all things to react to, he did not expect Bambam to focus on this. Laughing slightly, Yugyeom attempts to assure his ruffled friend, “Bam, it’s not a big deal. Kook is the second youngest so he’s technically a maknae too.”

“It’s the principle of it!” Bambam counters. “Hey, I’m doing this on your behalf Gyeom. We need to defend your title of baby of the group so you better get amped up about this!”

Still not too bothered by the incident but deciding to play along, Yugyeom muses, “So what should we do then?” Bambam taps his finger lightly on his mouth in contemplation and within a few seconds, Yugyeom can tell that he thought of an idea based on his change in expression.

Words rushing from his mouth, Bambam exclaims, “Do you still have that jump rope from your Indiana Jones costume from last year?”

“That cheap one that I pretended was my whip since ‘Halloween City’ ran out of everything but the kids’ version?”

“Yeah that one.” Remembering the odd looks that Yugyeom got last Halloween when they went trick-or-treating, he chortles, “Man, that costume looked so bad. I still can’t believe you wore that outside!”

Pouting, Yugyeom retorts, “I thought it looked fine. Plus, I only had $10 so it was the best that I could do.” Coloring slightly as he also thinks back to his costume, Yugyeom decides to throw Bambam under the bus as well. “But you can’t say anything since you dressed up as a minion. Even those middle schoolers laughed at us before you flipped them off.”

Bambam sinks lower into the couch and grumbles, “They deserved it. Middle schoolers are like little demons.” Without any shame, Bambam moves to defend his costume choice. Pointing at Yugyeom, he asserts, “Minions are pretty cute. Plus, you can’t say anything bad because you cried when we watched the movie. So you’re just as much of a minion freak as me.” Ending that statement with a smirk, Bambam wags his finger in front of Yugyeom’s face.

Sighing in acknowledgement and with a small pout, Yugyeom mumbles under his breath, “I thought we said we weren’t going to mention that ever again.” He gets up from the couch with a stretch and heads to their room. “Well anyways, I think I know where I put my costume. Give me a couple minutes?”

Nodding his head and giving a thumbs up, Bambam lies back onto the couch and hears his phone buzz again. A notification from Youngjae pops up, asking if he is currently home and Bambam raises the phone to his ear to call him.

The phone rings for a few moments and Youngjae brightly answers, “ _Hi Bam_!”

“Hey Youngjae. I’m home, what’s up?”

With relief clearly evident in his voice, Youngjae sighs, “ _Oh thank god! I forgot my notes in my room and we have an open-book quiz today. Could you send me a picture of them?_ ”

Bambam nods as he rolls off the couch and walks to Youngjae’s room. Instantly spotting the pile of papers sitting on a neat desk, he scans the pages and asks, “Are they the ones for your Music Theory class?”

“ _Yeah those are it! There should be 5 or so pages_.”

Tapping to put his phone on speaker, Bambam opens his camera and begins taking and sending the pictures. After a few moments of hearing the background noise of Youngjae entering his classroom and saying his greetings to classmates, Bambam sends the last photo and says, “Ok Youngjae, I sent them!”

“ _Ah, I just got them. Thank you Bambam!_ ”

Smiling, Bambam assures, “No problem. Glad I could help!” The two chat for the few remaining minutes before Youngjae’s class, but right as he is about to end the call, Bambam gets an idea. “Hey Youngjae, quick question. You wouldn’t happen to have a jump rope would you?” Bambam hopefully asks.

“ _Yeah, I do! It’s in my closet, in the box with the rest of my exercise gear. Do you need to borrow it_?”

“Yes please! I can put it back when I’m done,” Bambam says as he begins to rummage through the various boxes on Youngjae’s shelves. Popping open the lid, he sees dumbbells, tension bands, and a pair of boxing gloves. Then, towards the bottom, wrapped around a weight, he sees the jump rope, and rushes to pull it out. “I found it. Thanks Youngjae!”

Laughing at the excitement a simple jump rope could give his friend, Youngjae replies easily, “ _Of course Bam. Have fun!_ ” At the sound of a door slamming and the professor welcoming the class, Youngjae hurries to add, “ _Ok Bam, class is starting now. See you when I get home_!”

Bambam rushes to say goodbye and ends the call. Dusting off his knees as he gets off the floor, he bends to pick up the jump rope and heads back into the living room.

Yugyeom, already back from searching for his, sits on the couch and watches Jungkook’s story again. “How many jumps do you think we should do?” Spotting the object in Bambam’s hand, he adds with delight, “Oh you found another one! Cool, now we can jump at the same time.”

“Yeah! Youngjae had one and said I could borrow it.” Bambam replies with a smile. “I think we need to do at least 200. That’ll show Jimin who the _real_ maknae of the group is.”

Laughing at Bambam’s plotting expression, Yugyeom nods along and agrees. “So the goal is at least 200 and we’re not going to stop until we get it right?” He asks as he raises one hand in the air for a high five.

Eyes gleaming, Bambam draws his arm back all the way and slams his hand against Yugyeom’s raised one. “Let’s show Jimin and Kook what’s up.”

With a yelp of pain, Yugyeom cradles his now throbbing palm to his chest and groans. He should have expected this result since Bambam always goes all out for his high fives, but he couldn’t help it. More often than not, his friendship with Bambam entails some sort of mess or physical pain, but he wouldn’t change a thing. Their shenanigans are always just what he needs and Yugyeom could never get enough. Rubbing the flat of his hand a few more times to get rid of the residual pangs, Yugyeom laughs. “Let’s do it!”

Jumping up from the couch, Bambam shoves the coffee table aside, paying no mind to the rug underneath being bunched up beyond recognition. He grabs his borrowed jump rope and tosses the other to Yugyeom who is doing some stretches and warm-up jumps.

With the space cleared and enthusiasm bursting, the two face each other and begin chanting a countdown under their breaths. Reaching zero and letting out a resounding whoop, the competition is on.

Letting out a yell with every multiple of ten they pass, they reach Jungkook’s record within a few minutes. The two continue to jump in sync and when Yugyeom’s foot gets caught on the 237th jump, it is finally over.

Yugyeom bends and puts his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath, and watches as Bambam falls back onto the couch in exhaustion. “Whew, we did it!” Yugyeom says between pants and receives tired hand waving and muffled whoops from the face-planted Bambam.

But after a few more moments, Bambam gets up with renewed energy and crows with pride, “Take that Jimin! Look who’re the true jumping maknaes.” He takes his jump rope and whips it above his head like a propellor while singing a poor rendition of _We are the Champions_.

Joining in on Bambam’s victory lap for a few moments, Yugyeom is struck with a sudden realization. “Wait if you’re jumping and I’m jumping, who’s filming this?”

This one sentence stops Bambam’s mad cackles and triumphant arm swinging in their tracks. Blinking with an expression of emptiness and then visibly wilting, Bambam laments, “We just jumped for 15 minutes for no reason. Jimin will never believe that we actually jumped 236 times without video evidence. She’s stingy like that.”

Yugyeom suggests, “Ah, I think we could definitely do it again,” and adds while rubbing his head with embarrassment, “But this time, we take turns so someone is filming.”

“Yeah Gyeom, that sounds like a plan. But before we start jumping again, could we not jump on the floor anymore?” Bambam stands on one leg and wiggles the toes of his other foot, “You know, my sensitive arches,” he finishes with a slight pout.

Nodding, Yugyeom thinks back to the several instances where a whining Bambam wheedled foot rubs out of him, citing this exact reason. Still in the middle of contemplating where they could go or possibly putting something to cover the hardwood floor, Yugyeom is interrupted by Bambam’s suggestion.

“What about the couch? Since only one of us is jumping at a time, we would definitely be able to fit!”

With a shake of his head, Yugyeom dismisses this option, “No can do Bam. Last time my mom came over, she gave me a half hour lecture about the couch and how I need to respect it. I think I left a slice of pizza without a plate and a pile of wet clothes on it. The laundry distracted me from the pizza and then something distracted me from the laundry. Yeah...my mom was not happy.”

Bambam gives a look of minor judgement and tsks, “Man, this couch was a housewarming gift from your parents! Your mom’s right, we need to respect it and cannot ruin this beautiful couch ever again.” Humming again in thought, he eventually lands on the solution, “How about the bed? It came with the apartment and was a lost cause from the start, so maybe that’s a better option?”

“That sounds perfect,” Yugyeom agrees. He grabs one jump rope and tosses his cell phone to Bambam. “Let’s do this and afterwards, let’s make dinner. I’m starving.”

Patting the nonexistent pudge of his stomach, Bambam hums, “Yeah, all of this jumping and screaming is really kicking up my appetite. But speaking of screaming, maybe we shouldn’t yell so much this time. I think that’s why we’re so out of breath.”

Eyes crinkling and miming zipping up his lips, Yugyeom mock whispers, “We’re going to be super quiet and jump even more than before!” Bambam begins to whoop in agreement, but Yugyeom hastily shushes him, which earns him some muffled, albeit not quiet, chortles. Yugyeom grabs Bambam’s wrist and the two head into their bedroom to bounce a few times on the bed.

Bambam, already moving past Yugyeom’s joke of being quiet, loudly exclaims over the sound of their mattress creaking, “Oh my god Gyeom, this feels great.” He gives a few more test jumps to see if it will hold up, but other than the rhythmic squeaks from the bed frame, it looks pretty stable.

“This is way better than our original plan of doing it on the couch,” Yugyeom cheers.

“Yeah, if your mom found out we were still messing around on the couch, I wouldn’t be able to look her in the eyes anymore!” With that, Bambam hops off the bed and gestures to Yugyeom that he is going to start recording.

Yugyeom begins to jump rope and counts his progress under his breath, flashing smiles at Bambam and the camera every so often. But when he nears the 150 mark, he can feel himself start to flag.

Sensing Yugyeom’s growing exhaustion, Bambam yells out in encouragement, “Keep going, you’re almost there!”

With just a hint of a whine in his voice, Yugyeom replies in between pants, “I’m getting tired Bam. I’ve been at this for like ten minutes!”

“Yeah and you’re doing a great job,” Bambam cheerily replies.

The creaking bed frame continues to serve as his only backing track and within a few more minutes, Yugyeom finally reaches 200. Feeling the tingles in his legs grow and the breath leaving his lungs just a bit too hard to be comfortable, Yugyeom suggests, “Do you maybe want to switch?”

Bambam’s lips pucker in contemplation as he holds the bottom of his chin, “Hmm, it does look like you’re the one having all the fun. Maybe I should get in on the action too!” But before Yugyeom can get out more than a panicked rush of words, Bambam tosses the phone onto their nightstand and jumps to join Yugyeom on the bed. “Ahhh here I come Yugyeom!”

Yugyeom, still in the middle of jumping his 221st jump, isn’t able to move fast enough to dodge Bambam who hurled himself into the thick of things without a second thought. So in one moment, he can feel the sting of the jump rope hit the back of his leg as the weight of his best friend slams into his front. The two go toppling off the bed to land on the ground with a hard thump as the bed frame gives one last creak that seems noticeably louder and more ominous than the ones before.

Groaning, Yugyeom lands on his back with Bambam lying somewhere near his stomach, and both their legs somehow becoming tangled with each other’s and the jump rope to boot. Rolling over and off his friend, Bambam looks at their now slightly lopsided bed and yelps, “Oh god, we broke the bed Gyeom!”

Yugyeom sits up slowly and looks at one of the legs of the bed frame now bent in the middle. Scratching his head and eyes wide in disbelief he whispers, “Woah, it probably wasn’t strong enough for both of us to jump on it and it finally gave up.”

Nodding, Bambam muses and softly agrees, “Yikes, it’s all tilted now. But nothing a few old textbooks can’t fix! Who needs Calc 2 anyways.”

“Wait, why are we whispering?” They ask in tandem.

“Well, I think I’m subconsciously expecting to hear my mom yelling at me so...” Yugyeom trails off. “What about you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we’re giving our bed frame a moment of silence or something. Like a Viking’s funeral send off.” Bambam suggests with his hand over his heart and mimes wiping an imaginary tear off his cheek.

“Do Vikings even have moments of silence?” Yugyeom questions.

“Beats me, but it sounds cool. Plus, they did it in Thor 2 so it’s basically fact,” Bambam asserts.

Yugyeom rolls his eyes and chuckles, but as he moves to get up and find some of their old textbooks, he feels a stinging sensation on his calf and falls back down in surprise. Hissing slightly, Yugyeom inspects and gingerly pokes the reddening welt, “Ow my leg.”

This draws Bambam’s attention and the two look at the newly formed mark of their friendship. Eyes round and in a voice half of wonder and half in apology, Bambam squawks, “Wow, I never knew rope could burn like that!” But in a quieter voice he looks at Yugyeom adds, “Sorry Gyeom. Does it hurt a lot?”

Yugyeom can sense Bambam’s rising regret and is hurry to reassure him. “Eh don’t worry, it’s not too bad,” he replies in an equally soft tone. But realizing how he could dispel all of Bambam’s guilt, Yugyeom shifts gears and loudly begins to goad his friend. “This is nothing. It doesn’t even compare to _last time_. When you _whipped_ me too hard.”

Bambam’s mouth pops open in mock offense but it quickly changes to a sheepish grin, “Haha yeah, sorry about that. I get kind of carried away when I role play.”

Without words, Bambam and Yugyeom both think back to last Halloween and their aforementioned costumes.

 

Yugyeom, decked out in khaki cargo pants, a leather jacket, fanny pack, and brown fedora, finished his rendition of Indiana Jones with a neon green jump rope as his trusty whip. This costume was directly contrasted with Bambam in a neon yellow turtleneck, blue overalls, and a pair of black thick-framed glasses.

Yugyeom, who could see Bambam eyeing his costume, offered to let him try on the hat and other accessories. As if a switch was flipped when the fedora touched his head and the whip landed in his grasp, Bambam shifted into his approximation of the Indiana Jones personna. That is, he used the jump rope to whip at anything in the general vicinity.

After a few minutes and a broken mug lying on the ground, Bambam looked from the whip to Yugyeom who was laughing along in glee. “Hey Gyeom, do you think I would be able to tap you with the whip from over here?”

Not fully connecting the dots of where the situation was going, Yugyeom challenged, “Yeah as if! Your aim is so bad that it took you 7 tries to get that cup.”

With one eyebrow cocked, Bambam raises his hand and points directly at Yugyeom. “Watch out, Gyeom. _Indi_ bam _a_ _Jones_ is on the case!”

As Yugyeom is in the middle of retorting with, “Does Indiana Jones even say th-” the jump rope whips towards him with surprisingly deadly precision and speed. And by the end of the night, Yugyeom and Bambam end up with two heaping bags of candy, twin smiles, and one thin, outrageously red welt on the outside of a thigh.

 

Bambam shakes himself out from the memories with a smile, but then moves his focus to the mark on Yugyeom’s leg. Using one cool fingertip to lightly poke at it, he draws Yugyeom’s attention back to the situation as well.

“Do you think it’ll leave a mark?”

Nodding, Bambam replies, “Yeah, with how pale you are, definitely. I’ll get you some ice ok?”

Yugyeom shakes his head and moves to stand, trying to pull Bambam up alongside him. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore Bam.” He tugs his hand upward again but is stopped by Bambam lightly tutting.

“Well if you don’t want an ice pack, then I guess the only medicine that will do the trick is a kiss to make the boo-boo go away!” Bambam warbles before quickly pressing a light peck to the thin welt. With that, Bambam springs up and grabs Yugyeom’s hand with both of his, swinging it between them. “I’m really sorry Gyeom. I probably should have waited for your signal, but I was just too excited,” he trails off.

“Ay, stop worrying about it Bam. It was fun and I bet it’ll be gone by tomorrow!” And with one last smile, Yugyeom tightens his grip on Bambam’s hand and uses it drag him toward the kitchen. “Anyways, didn’t we say we’d make dinner after we finished? Let’s go!”

 

\-------

 

“Dinner is served,” Yugyeom proudly says as he puts the finishing touches on their meal for the night. Bambam, who is sitting on the counter avidly waiting for the go ahead, hops off and slides over to get the plates and taco shells. He hands some to Yugyeom and the two start loading them with meat, lettuce, and other toppings.

Mouth full and trying his best to talk around the food, Bambam raves, “This is great Gyeom, nice job as always!” He sets his plate down on the counter and gives both thumbs up in appreciation, to which Yugyeom smiles.

“C’mon, let’s sit on the couch and eat.”

Bambam nods, but before joining Yugyeom in the living room, he makes his way back to the tray of tacos and grabs two more. He balances his precious cargo in one hand and cradles two cans of iced tea in the other. As he passes a drink to Yugyeom, who accepts it with a hum, Bambam asks, “Hey, did you get the chance to look at my story? I added you jumping!”

Shaking his head, Yugyeom wipes one hand on his jeans and opens his Instagram app. Seeing Bambam’s circle icon at the top of the page, he clicks on it to see cuts of himself jumping on their bed. With their various hollers and screams as background noise, Bambam documented his jump rope progress better than he imagined. The story rolls through to completion and Yugyeom smiles at the way they spent their afternoon. He’s just about to close the app before something on his feed catches his eye.

Under Bambam’s Instagram handle is a new post and for some reason, it is [ a picture of Yugyeom](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsF-iGg6oYo&feature=youtu.be&t=28). His head is tilted back slightly, hair mussed, and face flushed, as he looks not at the camera itself, but the person holding it. There is a hint of a smirk to his smile and even a thin trail of sweat down the side of his face. He stands with one hand about to scratch the back of his neck and the other, holding the jump rope to dangle at his waist.

Yugyeom’s brows furrow in puzzlement as he wonders when Bambam even took this picture, and it deepens as he notices the two dots at the bottom of the image, suggesting that there is another picture. He swipes his finger and the next image is yet another one of him. But this time, he is standing at the stove, decked in the frilly pink apron Youngjae got him as a prank Secret Santa gift a couple years ago. He can see Bambam’s jean-clad knees at the bottom edge of the picture and the blur of one socked foot.

Bambam’s favorite spot in the kitchen was perched on the counter, keeping Yugyeom or Youngjae company when they made food. Ever since Bambam’s cooking fiasco the semester they moved into the apartment, he has been relegated to emotional support kitchen personnel only. So as he keeps his friends company, he oftentimes swings his feet, occasionally stretching out to lightly nudge their backs as they chat.

Knowing this, Yugyeom can envision the exact scene that Bambam captured in the picture. His wide smile as he cooked at the stove, was the moment Bambam told yet another one of his self-made knock knock jokes and Yugyeom couldn’t hold back a snort. Being entirely too pleased that he got a laugh out of him, Bambam would be chortling alongside him and swinging his legs on the counter. While Yugyeom can visualize this moment clearly, what still confuses him is why Bambam took these pictures as if he was sneaking secret candid shots.

But what’s even more baffling to Yugyeom and stops his thoughts in his tracks, is Bambam’s caption to these two seemingly unrelated pictures.

 **Bam_it.s_bam** : Get you a man who can do both.

Yugyeom stares at this one line of text for several breaths, brain short circuiting at Bambam’s caption which seems more like a bragging boyfriend than even Yugyeom could rationalize. Remembering the lipstick incident from a couple weeks ago, Yugyeom internally laments. _Oh god, what will Jimin say this time?_ Dispelling his crazy thoughts, he begins to regain his sense of reality and sees the dropdown option of _View all 46 comments_. He can’t help himself and clicks to read through them as fast as his brain can process.

 **jkookie97** : Ayyy nice Yugyeom!

 **Bam_it.s_bam** : You and Gyeom are the jumping masters Kook 😎

 **Chan.is.Banging** : Bambam’s eating wellllllllll

 **Bam_it.s_bam** : 🌝

 **Lisainpink** : Oh my god. Relationship goals 💚

 **Bam_it.s_bam** : 😏 U jelly. 😏

 **Jaehoney** : Yugyeom looking like a snack!!!

 **Bam_it.s_bam** : I know right. I could just eat him up 😋

Eyes wide, and scrolling through the comments their friends left and Bambam’s incendiary replies, Yugyeom can almost hear the static filling his head. He lets out a breath of relief and thinks to himself, _Thank god. These could_ almost _seem normal if I try hard enough_. But right when he finishes that thought, he catches sight of Jimin’s handle and knows that this hard won peace of mind is going to come to an end here and now. On top of Jimin always interrogating him about the nature of his and Bambam’s friendship and accusing him of dating his best friend behind everyone’s back, most the time Yugyeom can only stand by and watch his two friends interact. Like oil and water, their interactions always manage to scar him somehow.

 **letJiminsing** : 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

 **Bam_it.s_bam** : Haha that was my and Gyeom’s reaction when we broke the bed! 👀👀

Mind screaming, one thought runs repeatedly through his mind; _What the_ fuck _Bam?_ All too used to trying to explain their shenanigans to the ever dubious Jimin, Yugyeom cannot begin to comprehend how he can explain this this time. And according to the various reactions and emojis _that_ comment garnered, Yugyeom knows that he will have a lot of explaining to do to all of their friends.

While Yugyeom knows the perfectly rational reasoning behind Bambam’s reply, he remains baffled at how Bambam can’t _see_ it? Really, how does someone who makes conscious innuendos daily not see how such a comment can be misconstrued? Undoubtedly, this kind of thing goes a little beyond what is considered normal, especially between _just_ friends. _Oh god. Bambam what are you doing?_ Yugyeom closes his eyes and takes a series of audible deep breaths.

Bambam, noticing his friend edge closer to hyperventilation but entirely misinterpreting it, slaps him on the back a few times and Yugyeom jumps to look at him. “Eyyy, you ate too quickly again didn’t you?” Bambam grabs Yugyeom’s untouched iced tea and nudges him in the shoulder with it. “Drink some of this! I keep telling you that you need to slow down,” he adds with a smile and laugh.

“Uh yeah. Thanks Bam!” Yugyeom replies quickly before taking a few measured sips of the drink. He pats his chest a few times and gives Bambam a thumbs up, “Seems like that did the trick.” With a nod, Bambam turns back to his plate and Yugyeom can do the same with his phone. Figuring that not much can be worse than the interaction between Jimin and Bambam, his finger catches on the screen of his phone and he realizes that the comment section isn’t done just yet.

With a username of “kim” and then a string of numbers from 1 to 11 in numerical order, he sees a small icon that looks remarkably familiar and somehow, a sense of preemptive embarrassment hits him.

 **Kim1234567891011** : Happy to see Gyeomie using my recipe. Give the cook a kiss for me!  😙

 **Bam_it.s_bam:** Hi Mrs. Kim!!! I already did, but I can give him another one. 😘😽😘

Sitting in continually growing disbelief, a new thought runs through Yugyeom’s mind. “ _When did my mom get an Instagram and how did Bambam know about it_ before _I did?_ ” Still wondering just _what_ is happening to him right now, Yugyeom reads the last set of comments, which seem to be from _Bambam’s_ mom this time.

 **rainorshinebetty** : My precious baby is eating so happy and healthy. Bammie, Please send my thanks and love to Yugyeom for me!

 **Bam_it.s_bam:** Mommmmmm!!!!! But ok, I will 😊

When he reads the last comment, Yugyeom leans back into the couch cushions and just lets his phone fall into his lap. Thoughts racing through his head faster than he can even think about processing, he turns to look at the source of all this confusion.

Bambam, who is happily munching on his seventh taco, seems entirely unaware of the tailspin Yugyeom is currently plummeting into. But sensing that Yugyeom is staring at him, Bambam turns towards him and raises his eyebrows in question. With a taco shell crumb sticking to the corner of his lip, he lifts the remaining taco from his plate and mumbles, “Oh my bad Gyeom, did you want the last one?”

Yugyeom, about to ask Bambam just what his caption and comments meant, opens his mouth, but only manages to stutter out, “N-no Bam, it’s all yours.”

So with a happy hum and little wiggle, Bambam pipes, “Thanks Gyeom!” before inhaling the last taco and leaving Yugyeom with his mouth slightly ajar, eyes blank, and mind whirling.

 

\-------

 

_The next day_

 

Being two adults who are busy with jobs and their general lives, Mark and Jackson find themselves with piles of dirty laundry to do on a Saturday afternoon. Jackson, who had to resort to using a dish towel after his shower, makes the executive decision that they can’t put this off for any longer. He continues to use the increasingly damp cloth to towel off his hair and calls out to his boyfriend, who is playing video games in the living room. “Mark, could you grab a basket? I’m going to go down and start a load or two.”

Mark hums and moves to pause his game, “Sure Jacks, I’ll go grab some quarters for the machine too.”

So, armed with piles of their laundry, Jackson and Mark nudge their door shut and head down to the basement. But as they begin loading the washer, a cheery voice greets them from behind, “Hi hyungs!”

Returning their untroublesome neighbor’s greeting with delighted smiles of their own, they watch as Youngjae picks an empty washer and sets his basket on top of it.

Mark nudges Jackson with an elbow and whispers, “Hey, do you think Youngjae can explain what _Yugbam_ were up to yesterday?”

Nodding his head, but then immediately stopping himself, Jackson murmurs back, “Do we really want to know though?” However, with another nudge from Mark, Jackson clears his throat and begins, “So Youngjae, were you in the apartment yesterday afternoon?”

Youngjae, who is busy throwing his own clothes into a washer, makes a questioning noise and asks without a hint of suspicion, “Hmmm I had class until 4:30 and then work until late last night, so probably not! Why? What’s up?”

Ahhing with some painfully forced casualness, Jackson continues, “Oh nothing much, but were Bambam and Yugyeom acting weird when you got home?”

“Yeah, Bambam was eating everything in sight last night. He must’ve worked up an appetite somehow!” Youngjae says with a laugh and with just as much humor, adds, “Poor Yugyeom though. He seemed kind of out of it and kept wincing whenever he sat down.” Eyes crinkled with happiness, Youngjae didn’t seem to find anything too amiss with his friends’ behavior.

On the other hand, with those words, Jackson pales as his worst assumptions are confirmed. Mark, sensing that no additional nudges would convince Jackson to continue their investigation, picks up where he left off. “Hmm that does sound interesting, but would you happen to know what they might have been doing?”

“Hmmm, the group chat _was_ blowing up last night and everyone kept talking about how _shameless_ Bambam is and that Yugyeom’s whipped in more ways than one.” Youngjae quips with a playful wiggle of his brows. But with a shrug and with his ever-present smile not flagging one bit, Youngjae admits, “Who knows with those two! With the amount of energy and toys they have, they’re always up to something! I’m not really into that kind of stuff so I leave them to it haha.”

Brows furrowing, Mark begins to question the aforementioned _toys_ but before he can let out more than a stutter, Jackson jumps to cover his mouth. Laughing nervously, Jackson babbles, “Ah yeah, Youngjae! That’s a great idea! Leave those two heathens...I mean, _heartwarming_ friends of yours to their own business in their room! You keep your precious and wonderful self in your room, or better yet, at school! Yeah, that’s right! Get your education Youngjae! So maybe, you can earn money and get an apartment for just yourself! Wouldn’t that be perfect? How does that sound?”

Laughing again and not paying any mind to the slightly manic look in his hyung’s eyes, Youngjae beams, “Yeah, that would be great, but that’s like years away! I love living with Yugyeom and Bam so I’m not really in a rush.”

With that, Youngjae throws the last bit of his laundry inside and once his back is turned, Mark tugs Jackson’s hand away from his mouth and looks at his now gaping boyfriend. Snapping his fingers a few times, he sighs and loads the rest of their laundry into the washer. But as he begins inserting money to begin the wash cycle, he hears Youngjae let out a groan of frustration.

“Shoot, I’m a quarter short!”

Jackson, ever the person to help people in need, especially adorable dongsaengs that own his heart, is quick to offer, “Here Youngjae! We brought extras and you can have this one.” As he places the quarter into Youngjae’s palm, he gives his head a small pat and with a doting smile, adds, “Just don’t spend it one place.”

“Thanks hyung! I’ll try not to,” Youngjae snickers as he drops it into the washer and presses start.

Glad that Youngjae inadvertently provided Jackson with a distraction from the new revelations, Mark can’t help but shake his head in fond embarrassment. As Jackson continues to pretend to be an old man doling out advice to the youth of tomorrow, ie. a giggling Youngjae, Mark allows his mind process the information that just confirmed their worst assumptions. Their neighbors are undoubtedly rambunctious in more ways than one, but more importantly, this lease will be a long and interesting one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please comment and let us know what you think! Thank you for reading and see you next time. :)


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